Amanah leader: Even with two reps, we can deliver in Kelantan assembly

Although Pakatan Harapan and BN only have one seat each in the Kelantan state assembly, state Amanah chief Khalid Abdul Samad believes it should not prevent the two assemblypersons from producing strong arguments during the state assembly sitting.

Speaking at the post-state election press conference with Kota Lama representative Dr Hafidzah Mustakim today, Khalid said the two assemblypersons will ensure that checks and balances in the Kelantan government can be done effectively compared to the opposition MPs in Parliament.

"The matter of speaking up in this assembly, this is not a matter of numbers, it’s about the strength of the argument.

"What we see in Parliament, opposition MPs from PAS and others... though there are many, the balancing role is almost non-existent because when the Auditor-General’s Report is debated, they leave.

"There is no balancing role. We are confident that they (the two assemblypersons) are capable and will still be effective," he said.

Khalid (above) added that he expected they would be able to hold the PAS-led administration accountable and reprimand it if it was not focused on development.

Last Saturday, Hafidzah from Amanah won the Kota Lama state seat with 9,691 votes.

Mohd Syahbuddin Hashim from Umno won the Galas seat with 10,742 votes.

When asked to comment on Amanah votes in the state, Hafidzah said that based on the campaign for the past two weeks, support was not only from the elderly but from young voters too.

Kota Lama assemblyperson Dr Hafidzah Mustakim

"We just have to show them how we carry out our duties.

"Even though I am a minority in the Kelantan state assembly, I hope to be able to create a check and balance in the (state) government. We want to bring the voice of the people who want change," she said.

Khalid said the result of the state polls was also influenced by the low turnout, which was the lowest in Kelantan at 56 percent.

"Many people work outside Kelantan. This reflects the state itself where many people seek livelihood outside because the PN government cannot create jobs here," he said.

Khalid also stressed that Kelantan will not be ignored and that he "was not pleased" to see the state continue to go backwards due to the state government's poor administration. - Mkini