KANGAR – Perlis Umno is looking to regroup after losing the state to Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the 15th general election last year, and now that former menteri besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man will be bogged down with his corruption trials.
It is being speculated within party circles that newly installed Arau division head, Datuk Rozabil Abdul Rahman, would likely be appointed as the new Perlis Umno chief, replacing Azlan who was charged earlier this week with 10 counts of corruption.
Rozabil, 51, who is said to be close to Umno president and deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is a former corporate leader.
Earlier, in February this year, his flagship firm Destini Bhd announced his departure as executive chairman from the public-listed group, the reason for his departure being “to pursue his personal interest”. Rozabil will be succeeded at the firm by executive director Abdul Rahman Mohamed Rejab.
Azlan, who was appointed Perlis Umno chief by Zahid in 2021 to replace warlord Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, had already faced criticism then from some state divisions who said he was not qualified to lead.
The former menteri besar, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying travel claims and money laundering, also lost his bid to remain as Kangar Umno division chief in the party election earlier this year.
He lost to his deputy Datuk Fathul Bari Mat Jahya, who is also a former Umno Supreme Council member.
Rozabil is likely to lead those such as Fathul and former state executive councillor Ruzaini Rais, who won the Padang Besar Umno division head seat, as they try to reclaim Umno’s supremacy in the nation’s smallest state.
For a tiny state, Perlis has produced several Umno warlords who have dominated not just the state but national politics.
Since the 1990s until last year, these warlords have been Shahidan (Arau), Tan Sri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (Kangar), and Tan Sri Azmi Khalid (Padang Besar) – all of whom had also served as senior ministers and in the Umno leadership.
There was also the late Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh – also a former menteri besar – who served as Dewan Negara president. Hamid died earlier this year.
PN now has a supermajority in the Perlis assembly, with 14 out of the 15 seats. Former Umno man Shahidan defeated Rozabil in the last year’s general election to retain his Arau seat.
It also marked the first time in six decades that Barisan Nasional lost the state.
Although Perlis will not be one of the six states to hold elections this year, Rozabil’s cohort will be watching the polls in other states – Kedah, Penang, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Kelantan, and Terengganu – to see how their nemesis PN performs, as part of preparations for the next general election where they would hope to reclaim the state.
Former Padang Besar Umno division chief, Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin – who was expelled from the party by Zahid – said Perlis Umno will have a lot more to deal with than just PN, given the many Malay-Muslim parties competing for the community’s votes.
Zahidi said Perlis Umno cannot continue its warlord-style of politics but should instead focus on the economy and people’s needs if it wants to make a comeback.
The former deputy communications and multimedia minister, who advocates for the commercial production of ketum in the northern state given demand for it from neighbouring Thailand, reiterated his position again, saying it could help the local economy.
The sole opposition member in the state assembly, meanwhile, Indera Kayangan representative Gan Ay Ling, said Perlis folk are more preoccupied with “bread and butter” issues rather than the identity of the leaders representing them.
She said she doubted if Azlan’s court cases would be a big factor among locals here.
“The PAS-led state government should focus on the economy rather than allow the old ways of warlord politics to dominate the state,” she said. – The Vibes, April 13, 2023
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