KUALA LUMPUR – Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu remains unfazed by the growing popularity of Kedah’s caretaker Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
Instead, he views Sanusi’s growing popularity as an asset to Perikatan Nasional (PN), particularly in regard to the ongoing state election.
“No (I don’t feel challenged). I think Sanusi adds positive value to PN,” he said in an interview with Scoop.
According to him, Sanusi who is also PN state election chief has successfully explained to the people about a simple issue.
“I think the people of Kedah have remarkable qualities. Back then (with) major issues, if we want to talk about problems with 1MDB (1Malaysia Development) for example, explanations that we received from our economists were not very clear,” Faizal said.
However, when (Kedahan such as) Tun Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) explain it, we found clarity. Perhaps the people (of Kedah) possess a unique talent for simplifying intricate matters for the benefit of the villagers,” Faizal said.
In a separate development, Faizal, who is popularly known as Peja, revealed that support among non-Malays voters for PN was growing, as they were disappointed with the government’s decisions.
“So far, they (non-Malay voters) are still scared of Pas, which is now in a coalition with PN. But slowly, I am seeing a positive development in small and big political talks; I saw acceptance among the non-Malays who were present (at the talks) and who wanted to listen to what we were trying to say.”
Faizal expressed his optimism about the involvement of Gerakan, a predominantly non-Malay party, in PN’s state election machinery. He noted that Gerakan, alongside associate wings within Bersatu and the PAS Supporters Assembly (DHPP), is actively contributing to campaign efforts.
He also highlighted the engagement of non-PN members who are voluntarily joining the campaign machinery, hailing this as a promising sign.
Touching on the so-called “green wave” phenomenon, which draws parallels between the PN administration and the Taliban, Faizal dismissed it as a tactic designed to deter non-Malay voters from supporting PN.
“If we take inspiration from the leadership of Rasulullah SAW (Prophet Muhammad), his time in Madinah brought prosperity to people worldwide,” he said.
“Following the 15th General Election, when it became evident that Malays were supporting PN, an attempt was made to sow fear among non-Malays by conjuring a ‘green wave’,” Faizal said.
He stressed that the attempt to link the “green wave” with the Taliban was baseless and lacked relevance.
“They (PH) seek to frighten non-Malays, insinuating a connection between the ‘green wave’ and the Taliban, but they (PH) fail to grasp the true connection,” Faizal said. – August 8, 2023