CIKGU Talib Abdullah, a 77-year-old former teacher, takes to the microphone like a duck takes to water.
An eloquent speaker, he told a group of elderly Malay men in the predominantly Malay constituency of Masjid Tanah in Melaka that if not for Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad could have lost in the 1987 Umno election.
Standing on the stage in front of some 100 people, Cikgu Talib spoke of how Najib helped deliver the votes from Umno Youth that led to Dr Mahathir beating Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah by just 43 votes for the Umno presidency.
Najib was then the Umno Youth head.
His message to the audience was crystal clear: It is about loyalty and respect for the leader. “Najib yang paling ikut arahan,” he said.
The former teacher, who has cast his vote in 12 out of 13 general elections and is eagerly waiting for the next election expected soon, said he has some respect for Dr Mahathir but will not support him.
“I don’t like how he behaves now. I don’t think his new party will get any support here in Masjid Tanah,” he said.
“During Dr Mahathir’s 22-year rule, nobody dared to speak against him.”
The 92-year-old Dr Mahathir, who was also Umno leader for 22 years, has turned his back on Umno following a fallout over his son’s future in the party, and has since led the disparate opposition front.
Dr Mahathir’s Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), which has only one seat in Parliament today and two state seats, wants to make electoral inroads into Malay-majority areas like Masjid Tanah, which has 51,557 voters, of which 83.5 per cent are Malays.
It aims to contest more than 38 parliamentary seats, more than what the Democratic Action Party (DAP) won in the last general election.
But for Cikgu Talib and the people at the gathering yesterday, they don’t see PPBM making any inroads into Masjid Tanah, which is a very safe Umno seat.
By the way, its current member of parliament is Datuk Wira Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, the national Puteri Umno head, and its division chief is Datuk Seri Abdul Rauf Yusoh, the Umno Malaysia executive secretary.
What matters most to the rural folks here and elsewhere are their basic needs like clean water supply, street lighting, better mosques and surau, better roads and better education and jobs for their children.
The Malay heartland, according to analysts, is likely to determine the outcome of this upcoming election.
Barisan Nasional leaders have and are listening to heartland voters. They must continue to embrace the opportunity to elevate their very real concerns to Putrajaya.
But like in the US, our mainstream media tends to give more weight to the plight of urban voters, leading to a real disconnect between the establishment and the heartland people.
The parties that really feel the pulse of the people stand a better chance at the polls.
Any economic benefits must also filter down to the village level. There are cases where there is still no piped water supply in parts of Sabah, Sarawak and in the peninsula.
Despite rapid urbanisation and rural-urban migration, there are still some 81 rural seats in Peninsular Malaysia alone.
Umno, being the dominant Malay party, must stay focused on the bread-and-butter challenges facing hardworking families.
The party cannot be fixated on silo messages to specific groups that don’t include the rural folks. I don’t think the poor in Terengganu can directly relate to the Selangor water crisis.
The BN election manifesto, to be unveiled on April 7 ahead of the polls, should also focus on championing new policy solutions in infrastructure, education and small business that will elevate the economic fortunes of ordinary people.
This is especially so for those in rural areas and small towns who feel their concerns aren’t being adequately addressed.
These people have higher expectations now. As such, the government’s rural policies must evolve to meet the changing times.
The writer feels in a digital world, the winner does not always take all