The Perak MB finally finds his niche

• By Mariam Mokhtar

One person in Perak leads the way, in the fight against the deadly Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. He is the MB, Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

On 17 March, the information section of the Mentri Besar’s office released a detailed video on hand washing.

Washing hands properly is important because we may have touched people who are carrying the deadly Coronavirus, or touched items, like door knobs, that may have been contaminated.

If we subsequently touch our faces especially the mouth, eyes and nose, we increase the chances of the virus infecting us.

When we are shopping, or travelling by public transport, water is not easily available, so the use of hand-sanitisers is recommended.  This should always be followed by washing  one’s hands with soap and water, as soon as possible.

To highlight the importance of hand hygiene, Ahmad Faizal, has produced a video, in which he stars, showing us all about proper hand hygiene.

For those who have not seen the 3-minute video, the scene opens with Ahmad Faizal removing his watch. He proceeds to wet his hands before squirting liquid soap onto them. He rubs his hands vigorously together, up to wrist level, between his fingers and under his nails. He uses his elbow to turn-off the tap, and explains that the tap may also be dirty. He takes over one-and-a-half minutes to wash his hands before he dries them, with a paper towel.

The response from the public has been fantastic.

One Gunung Rapat resident said, “Finally, after two years of underperforming, Ahmad Faizal, has finally found his niche profession. He should do more ‘Self-Help’ videos. How about, ‘How not to stop the Orang Asli timber blockades?'”

A shopkeeper from Bercam said, “All our MBs seem to enjoy professions that involve dirt. Former MB Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, always had a smile on his face, when he was driving the big rubbish collection trucks. Ahmad Faizal looks happy, when he was seen wiping the table top in his official residence, in another video on cleanliness produced by the MB’s office. At least he knows that if he tires of being MB, he could become a waiter.”

Many will agree that Ahmad Faizal is a resilient politician. In the political jungle, survival of the fittest is paramount. Ahmad Faizal is that man.

He was once the Umno-Baru Youth leader for Ipoh Barat (2016 -2017) until he joined Bersatu and became its chairman. Few wannabe politicians with an eye on the top prize, would want to remain in Umno-Baru especially as its leader, disgraced Najib Abdul Razak, was mired in the 1MDB scandal.

Ahmad Faizal was then made the Perak Pakatan Harapan chairman in 2017 and when Harapan won the 14th General Election, a quick thinking Ahmad Faizal manoeuvred himself into pole position, ahead of his coalition partners. He even succeeded in convincing members of Umno-Baru to swop sides. As a result of his clever thinking, the ambitious young man became the Perak Mentri Besar. Some of his school friends and family members were not surprised at his meteoric rise to power.

The 20-month long Pakatan rule was riddled with infighting and  inexperienced politicians, some of whom were swamped by the responsibilities of being in office, whilst others just could not believe their luck, at being given a title, political aides to do their bidding, and an official car.

All was not well, because their failure to swiftly implement the promised reforms was not lost on the public. Ahmad Faizal could see these problems occurring and expressed his innermost thoughts at the by-election in Tanjung Piai, a few months ago. Some thought he was betraying the other coalition partners, but he maintained that he had the interests of the population uppermost.

No-one is able to restrain an ambitious politician. Ahmad Faizal could see the writing on the wall, and when Perikatan National (PN) seized control of the government, he seized the opportunity and enjoyed a new lease of his political life. From Umno-Baru, to Bersatu, to Perikatan National. Where there’s a will there’s a way. He felt that it was his duty to serve the public, in whichever party was appropriate.

A social observer who declined to be named said, “You can never keep a good man down. He sees an opportunity and he grasps it. Ahmad Faizal is a man of the people, and he has against all odds, become MB again. It just proves to show, that one does not need a university education to get on in life. One just has to be street smart, with important friends to vouch for you.”

Other Perakians hope that Ahmad Faizal will be able to make more in-house videos. The suggestions given by Ipohites are below.

How not to endanger the lives of people in a residential area, when the slope adjacent to the houses has been stripped bare of vegetation and trees, exposing them to driving rain and the threat of landslides.

How to increase transparency in local government by not awarding contracts worth several hundred millions of ringgits to companies with a paid-up capital of RM2, to log trees in a designated forest reserve.

How to improve efficiency in public services and stop building more white elephants which only waste the taxpayers’ money.

How to support the Orang Asli and ensure that their rights are upheld.

How to build trust in the community and stop acts of vandalism by people who object to the sales of certain items in grocery shops.  

From 1 April, the Perak MB’s department will make the suggested video clips, about good governance, available to the public. The public only have to complete the application forms in triplicate.