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Monday, November 30, 2009

Son-in-law.


Mon, Nov 30, 2009
The Star/Asia News Network




BY JOCELINE TAN

AS SPIRITUAL leader of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), the Islamist party at the activist core of Malaysia's opposition pact, he may be the opposition veteran with the greatest standing, with strong religious credentials, a reputation for personal holiness and an inclusive philosophy.

But Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat has had a month of setbacks.

Unprecedented calls have arisen for him to "name his successor" even as he struggles to recover from a political fiasco dubbed the "son-in-law issue".

At a press conference last week, hours after announcing that he had asked son-in-law Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman to quit as chief executive of state-owned Kelantan Menteri Besar Incorporated (PMBK), he looked grim and tense.

It was probably one of the lowest moments in his political career, coming shortly after he had set himself at odds with a sizeable faction of his own party.

Mr Nik Aziz, 78, had asked PAS president Hadi Awang to step down unless he and his allies declared they no longer backed a unity government with Umno, which leads the government in Putrajaya.

That was already a case of living rather dangerously. But some felt that Mr Nik Aziz was sailing too close to the wind with his son-in-law's appointment.

It took the actions of a blogger to bring this powerful man to his senses. Mr Syed Azidi Syed Aziz, better known as Kickdefella, started it all when he blogged about Mr Ariffahmi's appointment and criticised it as a glaring conflict of interest.

Mr Syed Aziz, who had been sacked as a PMBK corporate liaison officer, also exposed how a pilgrimage that Mr Nik Aziz, Mr Ariffahmi and their spouses had been planning to make would be financed by a wealthy businessman who had dealings with the state agency. The trip, too, was eventually aborted.

The fact that he does not see the ("son-in-law issue") as nepotism does not speak well for him as a leader in the 21st century.

Kickdefella, Kelantan's most famous blogger, said he was sad that it had to end this way, adding: "The law is very clear...the whole thing could have been avoided."

The positive side to this is that MrNik Aziz showed that he was not impervious to public opinion and listened to the cousel of party peers.

Disturbingly, however, he still does not see it as an ethical, conflict- of-interest issue, saying that he asked Mr Ariffahmi to resign so as to "avoid further slander from bloggers and poison-pen letters".

The fact that he does not see the issue as nepotism does not speak well for him as a leader in the 21st century.

The recent calls for him to name his successor suggest that people are beginning to doubt his judgment on key appointments - and, critically, in his preference for his successor.

But Datuk Nik Amar Nik Abdullah, a senior state minister andstatePASdeputy commissioner who made that call, tried to portray it as anything but a move to topple his boss.

"When I urged Tok Guru (or 'Teacher', as Mr Nik Aziz is fondly known) to name his successor now rather than later, my aim was to avert confusion or even a power struggle," he insisted.

This is Mr Nik Aziz's 19th year in power and he has outlasted some prospective successors.

"He is a wise and elderly leader, he must name his successor.

If Tok Guru is willing to share his opinion...national party leaders are open to discussing the matter," said PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayob.

What Mr Salahuddin means is that the PAS national leadership intends to have its say, too.

The front runner is Deputy Menteri Besar Ahmad Yaakob, a low-key 58-year-old religious scholar.

He belongs to that generation of politicianswhostilldo things like riding a motorcycle to the local stall for breakfast before going home to change andgo to the office in his official car.

Mr Nik Amar, 48, is also in the running. He has been quite low-key for much of his time in government, but he has begun to take a bold stand on issues. His late politician father was well-respected as a daring "tiger".

Datuk Husam Husam, 50, was seen as Mr Nik Aziz's favourite. Last week, dismissing rumours that Mr Husam had quit government posts, Mr Nik Aziz defended him as a "unique leader" and "Allah's gift" to Kelantan and Malaysians.

But Mr Husam - a leader of the party's liberal wing - has accumulated his share of enemies, and that may explain why the calls for Mr Nik Aziz to decide on his successor are coming now rather than later.

The son-in-law mess was Mr Nik Aziz's moment of supreme weakness and it could not have happened at a worse time for his "political son", Mr Husam.

-The Star/Asia News Network

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