P KUBOR In the midst of a hectic election campaign for the Pengkalan Kubor state seat, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan turned ‘snake whisperer’.

He joined firefighters to capture a three-metre long python at Kampung Raja in Pantai Geting in Tumpat.

The python was slithering into an eatery when Abdul Rahman, who was giving a press conference, spotted the reptile and alerted a fire officer.

Wasting no time, Abdul Rahman and Kelantan Fire and Rescue Department director Azmi Osman hurriedly left the press conference to join several firefighters to capture the python which had headed into some bushes, about 10 metres away.

The python was sent to the Department of Wildlife and National Parks.        

A villager, Wan Ali Wan Stapa, 57, said he would never forget the incident as it was the first time he had seen a minister joining in to catch a snake.

“While it is the norm for firefighters to catch a snake, it is different when a minister pulls up his sleeves to do the job.”

Another resident, Saadiah Awang, 50, acknowledged Abdul Rahman's courage and said: “The minister is truly brave to capture a snake. Even we were terrified to watch him and the firefighters in action.”

The Pengkalan Kubor by-election is being held following the death of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) three-term assemblyperson Noor Zahidi Omar on Aug 20, due to cancer.

The by-election will be a three-cornered fight involving BN’s Mat Razi Mat Ail, 48, Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim, 56, of PAS, and Independent Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary, 47.

Noor Zahidi had retained the seat at the 13th general election last year with a majority of 1,736 votes, beating Saharun Ibrahim of PKR and Izat Bukhary.

- Bernama