Which team will win on the east coast?

IF the Kelantan and Terengganu state elections were in the English Premier League (EPL), which team would the unity government be?

Put on the spot, Terengganu and Kelantan PKR state council chairman and Liverpool fan Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (pic) said: “This season, because Liverpool did not perform well and because I was so busy, I did not have time to follow the EPL.

“I would love for it [the unity government] to be like Leicester when it won the Premier League title in 2016,” he said, referring to the mid-level team which unexpectedly won the title.

Pressing the Setiawangsa MP for an answer, I asked him which team he thought the unity government (consisting of Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional) would be in the upcoming state polls on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

“With due respect to Spurs fans, it is Spurs. Spurs have not won the league for some time. But they are doing well, they are in the top eight,” said Nik Nazmi, referring to the Tottenham Hotspurs.

“How about Perikatan Nasional?” I asked.

“I hate to say it, but they are like Manchester City,” he said, referring to the English team which won the treble [ie, three titles] this season.

Nik Nazmi, currently the Natural Resources, Environ-ment and Climate Change Minister, hopes that Pakatan and Barisan’s chances in the two east coast peninsular states would be similar to Spurs’, as it did well to get into the top eight of the EPL table in the 2022/2023 season.

“Fundamentally, we are going into the state polls in Kelantan and Terengganu to become a strong Opposition for checks and balances,” he said.

“I am not saying we are just giving up on the two states. PKR has to have a five-year plan for the two states to rebuild so that we can be a formidable player,” he said.

The PKR leader explained that there are two schools of thought on the unity government’s forecasted performance in Kelantan and Terengganu: One school of thought is that Pakatan and Barisan have to go all out to win, while the other is that they should not waste resources and time on trying to win.

“When some people say just give up, we can’t. We have history there. In 1999, PKR was barely seven months old and we won five parliamentary seats, including Kemaman in Terengganu and Kota Baru, Peringat and Tanah Merah in Kelantan,” he said, referring to the general election in which PKR and PAS were part of an Opposition coalition.

What are the big issues as Nik Nazmi sees them in Kelantan and Terengganu’s elections?

“If you go to Kelantan, water is a big issue. There’s also the issue of development and infrastructure. And there’s the issue of governance.

“The use of Mercedes Benz as the official car, whereas in a state like Selangor, the Mentri Besar and exco members use Toyota Camrys. It is so blatant. These are the things that people are very unhappy with,” he said.

“In Terengganu, there’s some unhappiness within PAS about outsiders being brought in. The people still want to see a strong voice for checks and balances.”

How about the 3R (race, religion and royalty) issues?

“That will be to PAS and Bersatu’s comparative advantage. They will play up any issue involving these matters,” he said.

However, Nik Nazmi said that when you think beyond the 3Rs, it is the fundamental bread-and-butter issues that matter.

But is that a plus or minus point for the unity government, as the cost of living has gone up?

“Cost of living is quite stable overall. Inflation is stable. You compare it with when Perikatan was in government, and people remember how eggs and other supplies were not there [in supermarkets or shops],” he said.

Nik Nazmi said Perikatan would probably play up the bread and butter issues and the unity government needs to go to the ground with a counter-argument.

“We have the facts with us. It’s just that we need to put the narrative out there,” he said.

Is Umno a plus or minus in the two states?

According to the PKR leader, Umno is definitely a plus.

“Because for us [Pakatan and PKR], as I said, it’s an uphill battle. Umno has a strong base in the two states. That’s why we’ve been very clear that we let Umno take the lead in these two states. They have a very crucial role to play.

“But obviously, we also believe that we [Pakatan] will be able to provide added value to Barisan,” he said.

Is this, arguably, the weakest Umno has ever been going into an election?

“I disagree because people have a strong desire for stability and moderation. And people have a strong desire for credible ministers,” Nik Nazmi said.

Which team – Manchester City (Perikatan) or Spurs (Pakatan and Barisan) – will win the two states?

“As football fans like to say, ‘the ball is round’,” he replied.

Having said that, Nik Nazmi concedes that the short-term target would be to form a strong Opposition in the two states. The long-term plan is to win the Kelantan and Tereng-ganu state governments in five years.

“Liverpool has Jurgen Klopp. Why did he succeed? Because the owners gave him a timeline. It was not a promising first season when he came in. But he was allowed to have time and support,” said the Liverpool fan.

“I’m not saying I’m Klopp. But we have that long-term plan in mind.

“Of course, short-term results also matter. Any football manager knows that if you’re newly appointed, you should get some decent results to buy time and get goodwill with the fans. That’s crucial.”

Manchester City versus Spurs in Kelantan and Terengganu, which team will win? On paper, it looks like City will win big.