KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 — Umno’s Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed has indicated his readiness to battle the popular Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat for the post of Kelantan mentri besar in the next general election.The international trade and industry minister told The Malaysian Insider in an interview that “under normal circumstances, whoever is state Umno liaison chief... will lead the state in the event” of victory. Umno lost the state to PAS in 1990.
“Number one, he will be heading the party into elections. That is by convention; that is what happens. In the event we win, then normally he will end up being MB.
“That is the normal route people take but we cannot be pre-empting. That is for the boss to decide. I will follow orders as ‘your obedient servant,’” he said, referring to Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Mustapa, who has been a federal minister since 2004, is widely supported by Umno’s grassroots in the east coast state, where even state opposition leader Datuk Che Alwi Ahmad has indicated that “Tok Pa,” as he is popularly known, is the party’s MB-designate.
Pengkalan Chepa Umno Youth division chief Che Othman Che Wil told The Malaysian Insider recently that despite PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz’s continuing popularity since first helming the state in 1990, “there is no clear succession plan in PAS, but Umno, we have Tok Pa and no arguments there; he is our choice for MB.”
He also said Mustapa’s “squeaky-clean” and “scandal-free” image will help shore up voter support, and the party has made it a point to burnish the minister’s credentials “every chance” they get in forums and even public events.
Mustapa, who is also Jeli MP, has been working with Umno officials on its “Gelombang Merah” campaign to take back the state it lost over two decades ago.
read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com
