[ Laman Ehwal Semasa ReformIS ]
Date: 07 Aug 1999
Time: 07:26:02
Remote User: -
Barisan banks on Ku Li's influence to win Kelantan PENGKALAN KUBUR: Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's influence in Kelantan politics was underscored by Second Finance Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed who said yesterday "there would not have been a (Datuk) Nik Aziz (Nik Mat) without Ku Li." Speaking at the launch of the Barisan Nasional election machinery here, Mustapa reminded Umno members of the role played by Tengku Razaleigh in helping PAS and the former Parti Melayu Semangat 46 to wrest control of the state in 1990, which saw Nik Aziz becoming mentri besar.
"Ku Li was the one who defeated us (Umno). I noticed spirits are high among Umno members since his appointment (as state Umno liaison chief)," Mustapa said.
He described the general election as a "huge battle" and called on Umno members to have confidence in a Barisan victory.
He said Barisan's "weapon" in this battle would be its election machinery.
"People used to say that Kelantan was a write-off for Barisan. But we can prove this time that we can make Kelantan a Barisan stronghold under the leadership of Ku Li," he said.
Speaking to reporters later, Mustapa also brushed aside accusations by PAS leaders that Umno was trying to politicise the issue of religious schools in the state and that there were discrepancies in the allocation of federal funds for the schools.
On Monday, PAS lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency in Kota Baru alleging that the per capita allowance to religious schools from the Federal Government was being channelled through Umno.
A copy of a letter allegedly to a religious school in the state claimed the school was asked to "refer to the Umno division chief in Jeli" to receive the per capita allowance.
Mustapa, who is the Jeli Umno division chief, said it was immaterial how the money was channelled to schools.
However, he said he was not aware of the contents of the letter.
"There are no discrepancies. Even if the letter is real, it is only a question of the way the money is distributed.
"The important thing here is that it is benefiting the schools," he said, adding that religious school teachers were not being forced to support or vote for Barisan.