Hometown hero: Raja Mohamed Affandi (standing) meeting with local fishermen and their families at the Pantai Kemasik jetty in Kemaman, Terengganu. — Bernama
KEMAMAN: Having enjoyed many sweet memories growing up in Kemaman, Barisan Nasional candidate General (R) Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor returns to his hometown with high hopes of settling “unfinished business”.
The former Chief of the Defence Forces, who completed his primary and secondary school education in Kemaman, views the by-election here as the perfect opportunity to give back to the people who shaped him into the person he is today.
“This is like paying forward. My family, children, grandchildren and I are very grateful for what we have had all this time. So, looking back, I asked myself: Why can’t I give back not just to the government but also to my place of origin, Kemaman?
“It would have been different if I had been offered (to contest in) Kuala Pilah or other places, but when asked about my willingness (to be a candidate for the Kemaman by-election), I took a few days to think it over, evaluate everything, (and then I said) let’s do it.
“I volunteered because I am from Kemaman; surely I will find ways to do my best for Kemaman, my district,” he told Bernama.
The by-election on Dec 2 will see a straight fight between Raja Mohamed Affandi and Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar of PAS.
Although he moved to the capital to further his career as a soldier in the early 1970s until he reached the job’s pinnacle, Raja Mohamed Affandi said whenever he was on leave, he would always return to Kemaman to be with his family who live in Kampung Besut and Kampung Mak Cili here.
This, he said, had made it easy for the residents to recognise him as a Kemaman native who has gone on to achieve success and serve the country, especially in protecting the safety and sovereignty of Malaysia.
“When I was a small boy, I would go play football after school and frequent the market. Even though my mother gave me money to buy the fish, I would not need to pay because the fishmonger would give it to me for free.
“Recently, when I went back to the market, I was so touched that they still remembered me.
“I usually have coffee at Hai Peng when I go back to Kemaman, and one day, an individual approached me and asked, ‘Do you still remember me?’.
“I immediately remembered that he was once my classmate.
“That was a touching moment because I realised they still remembered me, although I did not have much time to stay in contact with them due to my work in the army,” he said.
As such, Raja Mohamed Affandi, who has over 40 years of military experience, aims to be a model “soldier-statesman” in politics to serve the people of Kemaman and help develop his hometown.
Being one of the higher-ranking former servicemen to join politics, he hopes to inspire others with similar intentions to help the people.
“I hope this will be the catalyst for others. This (role of a) soldier-statesman is common in America. So let’s see where it will take me on my political journey,” he said.
Although Raja Mohamed Affandi knows he will be up against the incumbent state MB, he does not consider himself the underdog; instead, he views himself as someone with an equal chance of winning the Kemaman by-election.
“We are equals; we fight on equal ground, provided the by-election is held cleanly and there is nothing suspicious.
“Looking at the by-election at a glance, it is the same situation as being at war – because to fight, we must be prepared.
“We study the scenario, the battle, who we are fighting against and how the battlefield can be turned into an advantage.
“Each will prepare his army to be ready to attack. In a battle, we make estimations, and my prediction is that I can pull off a surprise,” he added.
