He said Kelantan Umno, the coalition’s main component party in the state, had been growing stronger and receiving more support as the people’s desire for change had increased.
“Umno is not just as strong as before. In fact, it has gained more strength and its spirit is at an all-time high.
“The only thing is the ‘cah keting’ (culture). If that can be reduced and does not happen at all, I think we (BN) can wrest Kelantan from PAS easily.
“In fact, the people also yearn for change. It seems that the Kelantanese in Kuala Lumpur are willing to go back to help,” he said in an interview with Bernama here.
The 81-year-old Gua Musang Umno division chief, who is defending the Gua Musang parliamentary seat which he has held since 1974, said such a culture was still a thorn in Kelantan Umno’s flesh in its attempts to recapture the state which has been under PAS rule since 1990.
Tengku Razaleigh, fondly known as Ku Li, said the act of sabotaging the party still occurred these days, but in a more cunning way through the use of platforms like social media.
“Everyone (seems so) ambitious to climb up the ladder, not liking others to bypass them and so on,” he said.
Commenting on the political scenario in Kelantan, the former finance minister said the split within the former opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat had witnessed PAS going solo.
He said PAS splinter party Amanah would also have an effect on the Islamist party, but that this would not be an advantage for Umno and BN.
“Now, PAS is divided but that does not benefit Umno in terms of the migration of members from PAS to Umno. Even if there are, the number is small… perhaps, 0.5% or 1%.
“However, the migration (of PAS members) to Amanah or becoming inactive is happening. Subsequently, PAS becomes weak,” he said.
Tengku Razaleigh will become the longest serving elected representative if he wins the three-way contest for Gua Musang on May 9.
The veteran leader will take on Abdullah Hussein of PAS and Mohd Nor Hussin of PPBM.
In the last general election in 2013, Tengku Razaleigh retained the seat with a majority of 8,413 votes in a straight fight with Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah of PAS.
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