'KJ Wave' in Negri Sembilan?

THIS news could send shivers down the spine of Umno leaders.

The door to Negri Sembilan is still open to Khairy Jamaluddin. Bersatu has not given up trying to persuade Khairy to come onboard in the former minister’s home state.

And Khairy apparently has yet to say a final yes or no.

His meeting with Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was inconclusive but the decision has to be soon with only three weeks to go before Nomination Day.

"If he decides to contest, it will be game over for them, right there and then," said Kamarulazman Habibur Rahman, a retired teacher and Bersatu founding member.

By "them" Kamarulazman meant Pakatan Harapan and Umno, the new-found friends who are confident of winning big in the state election.

Khairy is at a life-changing crossroads that is full of risks and also opportunities.

"We are looking for the spark to start the forest fire. KJ could be the spark," said Bersatu deputy president and the party’s Negri Sembilan chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu.

But until and unless that happens, it is touch-and-go for Bersatu, which is struggling with limited ground machinery. PAS is also weak in the state, without a strong local figure or political network.

The main factor driving the green wave narrative in Negri Sembilan lies in its overwhelming number of Malay-majority seats. Malays make up more than 70% of voters in 16 of its 36 state seats while another four seats have Malay-majorities of 65%.

Just as Chinese seats used to mean disaster for Barisan Nasional, Malay seats now spell danger for Pakatan and Umno.

"Whether at the surau or warung, I meet Malays who have lost faith in political parties. They tell me: Cikgu, we are not going to vote, we are fed-up, tired.

"I have a feeling that those Umno members who cannot bring themselves to vote for another party may not come out on election day," said Kamarulazman.

The Negri Sembilan countryside is beautiful, dominated by rolling hills and idyllic villages. Those into fengshui say the soft, rounded hills reflect a land of peaceful and easy-going people whereas jagged and dramatic mountains tend to breed fighters and warriors.

Yet the Chinese new villages in these parts saw fierce communist clashes. Even the slogans on the folksy murals in the Titi new village were reminiscent of propaganda-ish language from China.

"The coming weeks will be crucial. I think most people have decided and I’m confident we can manage the narrative despite the emotions and sentiments out there," said Port Dickson Umno deputy chief Najib Isa.

Locals say that what happens in Selangor has an effect on them.

In 2018, swayed by the 1MDB scandal and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s sales pitch of saving Malaysia, Negri Sembilan folk threw out the Umno-led government they had supported for decades.

Are they about to swing again by persuasions of race, religion and TikTok? Does the tranquil air in rural Negri Sembilan veil a population about to make another leap of faith?

Perikatan is launching its campaign this Sunday night in Sikamat, the constituency of Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun’s seat.

It is like a signal to Aminuddin: Watch out, we are at your doorstep.

Aminuddin is not taking things lightly. On Tuesday (July 4) night, in what was seen as a pre-emptive move, he brought in his good friend Economic Affairs Minister Rafizi Ramli for a Jelajah Madani ceramah.

Rafizi was in his element and declared that surveys of the six states doing battle showed that Negri Sembilan ranked the highest in terms of satisfaction with the government, with 75% of the folk expressing approval of the state government.

Khairy’s career began in Rembau before it hit a giant pothole. There is speculation that he may form his own party but he has kept his future plans close to his chest.

Will he restart his political career in his home state? Will he take the risk and be the spark that Ahmad Faizal is looking for?

Umno politicians have privately admitted that they are worried about Khairy jumping in.

"He will be a magnet for young voters and bring in the fence-sitters. He impressed the whole of Malaysia as a minister. Even those who dislike him acknowledge his ability," said a state Barisan leader.

They also saw how he fought it out in Sungai Buloh, a PKR stronghold where he lost narrowly by 2,693 votes after blasting through the previous majority of 26,634 votes. It was an incredible contest that captured the people’s imagination.

And that is why Bersatu leaders believe Khairy can bring a different kind of wave to Negri Sembilan.

It won’t be a green wave or a blue wave, but a "KJ wave". If he plays it right, the "KJ wave" could even trend in other states.

And if the wind blows hard enough, Negri Sembilan could be the reset button for his political career because he is certainly mentri besar material.

Some may ask if Khairy would want to be a big fish in a small pond. But wasn’t that how President Jokowi, who began as Mayor of Surakarta and Jakarta Governor, ended up as Indonesia’s president?

It might be a case of counting chickens before they are hatched, but making it big in his home-state could be Khairy’s stepping stone to bigger things in the future.