Umno is fishing for votes, but it is PAS that has pulled in a whopper in the campaigning for the Manek Urai by-election.

manek urai by election pas candidate fauzi abdullah 290609 On Friday, fish wholesalers and fishmongers will protest Umno's slur against one of their own - the PAS candidate.

The gathering is also in support of Mohd Fauzi Abdullah (left) , better known as Abe Uji.

He is standing against Umno's Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat in the July 14 by-election for the state seat.

PAS election director Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah said fish wholesalers are upset that Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan had belittled the PAS candidate while campaigning.

Ahmad had apparently described Abe Uji as a peraih ikan (fishmonger) during a ceramah (political talk), when he is a pemborong (fish wholesaler).

Wan Abdul Rahim said this has upset both fishmongers and wholesalers, who see the statement as deriding their profession.

Any occupation should be accepted, so long as it is halal, he said today, at his daily press briefing.

“After this foolish remark, Ahmad Tarmizi Salleh - president of the Kelantan fishmongers association - voiced the group’s support for Abe Uji. They feel that the remark demeans Abe Uji's capabilities and profession.

“They have agreed to organise a protest on Friday afternoon at Kampung Laloh.”

manek urai by election pas nik aziz hadi awang tuan aziz bn posters 070709 03 Wan Abdul Rahim pointed out that PAS has chosen someone who is “humble, approachable and willing to help the people”, instead of a highly-educated candidate to contest the seat.

This is in keeping with the history of its candidates for Manek Urai. The seat was held for five terms by Ismail Yaacob, who is better known as Pak Su Weil.

He was a bomoh patah (masseur who sets bones) . Although he was illiterate, voters appreciated “his incomparable service” to the people, said Wan Abdul Rahim.

Ismail’s death on May 22 led to the by-election being called.

Achievements under PAS

Wan Abdul Rahim also claimed that Manek Urai in northern Kelantan was developed by the Kelantan Land Development Authority (LKTN), an agency under the PAS-led state government.

Unlike the South Kelantan Development Authority, which is run and funded by the federal government, the LKTN allows smallholders to open and own land. They have come from Pasir Mas, Rantau Panjang, Tanah Merah and Kota Bharu to date.

manek urai by election pas banner poster agriculture is prayer “The residents are given six acres (2.4 hectares) of land to develop into rubber smallholdings, another two acres (0.8 hectares) for orchards and half an acre (0.2 hectares) to build their house.

“These settlers have trekked through jungle and crossed rivers to clear the trees to plant rubber. About 80 percent of them are now rubber tappers.”

Wan Rahim said all this had been initiated under the PAS, which formed the state government in 1990 and has retained it ever since.

LTKN's 60th anniversary will be observed tomorrow at Sungai Sok, with Deputy Menteri Besar Ahmad Yakob scheduled to officiate the event.