It's been 3 years of misery, says Kedah opposition BN

Despite its war cry ‘PAS for All’ in the last general election, non-Muslims in Kedah are reportedly perturbed over whether the PAS-led Pakatan Rakyat government will implement hudud law.

As Pakatan commemorates its third year of ruling this northern state, BN parties say it increasingly appears that non-Muslims are concerned whether PAS will transform Kedah into an Islamic state.

State Gerakan Youth chief Tan Kheng Liang said the concerns arose after the state government created separate seating areas for men and women at a New Year’s event in Sungai Petani.

“Major advertisement billboards are now also required to display Jawi or Arabic writings,” Tan said.

“So instead of a happy anniversary, it is more like three years of misery in Kedah.”

Tan’s observation was shared by state MCA chief Chong Itt Chew, who said PAS appeared to be pushing its Islamisation agenda, intentionally or unintentionally.

“The Chinese community is getting worried,” Chong ( right ) said.

Kedahans are also complaining that no significant development project has been brought to the state by Pakatan Rakyat.

“People are not satisfied with their current situation, but it is still hard to say whether they will support BN,” Chong said.

“The administration is in a mess, there seems to be no development, but the state is spending money to build an Islamic university.”

Like its counterpart in Penang, the Kedah Pakatan pact has been accused of not fulfilling its election promises.

'People see no development'

State Umno liaison committee chairperson Ahmad Bashah Hanipah said the opposition “has failed as a ruling party in Kedah”.

“The people of Kedah can answer for themselves the question: What have they done in their three years of rule?

"What is clear is that they have failed to realise the manifesto they announced before the general election,” Ahmad Bashah said.

“People can see no development by the government under Mentri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak ( left )."

Meanwhile, the Indian community has joined the fray to condemn the Pakatan government for “doing nothing for the people”.

Kedah MIC liaison chief S Ananthan said there have been no policies for Indians and that his party has been organising several programmes, such as e-Daftar, where stateless people are issued birth certificates, MyKad and citizenship certificates.

Ananthan said Pakatan had promised a full grant for Tamil schools and freehold land for temples, but “nothing has happened”.

“The Pakatan government does not provide funds for Indians but through the federal government, MIC obtained RM353,000 for 25 temples in Kedah last year,” he said.

In Lunas, where he is a BN coordinator, Ananthan has obtained RM1,000 each for needy individuals and about RM300-500 a month for the physically challenged from the federal government’s welfare fund.

“We got zero support from the (Pakatan) state government. In the next general election, 75 percent of the Indians are expected to return to BN,” he claimed.

He said BN and MIC had organised meetings with the grassroots and its leaders, branches and divisions, on a daily basis to address their problems.

“The crowd is large... there are indeed many PKR members, especially those from Paya Besar and Padang Serai, who are waiting to join us,” he added.

However, the only obstacle stopping MIC from obtaining more support from Kedahans may be the 'Interlok' issue, Ananthan said.

This is the controversial novel that is a Malay literature text for Form Five students.

“(Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister) Muhyiddin Yassin must resolve the issue soon; it may not be a big issue but it’s a sensitive one,” Ananthan added.

“BN must also resolve its internal problems to do well in the next election.”