Ibrahim Ali Pahlawan Melayu (Ibrahim Ali The Malay Warrior)

TOK HIM PAHLAWAN MELAYU are the words printed on the sheath worn by Dato' Ibrahim Ali (or Tok Him as he is locally known) the independent member of Parliament for Pasir Mas. Today he is standing tall as the President of Perkasa Malaysia. Perkasa was once an obscure non governmental organization which took on a different prominence once Datok Ibrahim Ali took over the helm. He used it to the hilt to promote Malay rights and above all to promote himself as a politician and save him from obscurity for the lack of a suitable platform to voice his issues.
He was once the Head of UMNO Division Pasir Mas having won the battle for the post from the late Haji Hassan Ismail. Later he left UMNO to join Semangat 46 with Tengku Razaleigh. When Semangat 46 was dissolved, his attempt to come back to the high office of Pasir Mas Division was thwarted by the then head of the division, Dato' Rahim Ab. Rahman who later lost the post to his deputy, Hanafi Mamat. Dato' Rahim and Hanafi managed to maneuver Dato' Ibrahim Ali out of UMNO Pasir Mas and he was in the doldrum until he was elected as the MP of Pasir Mas under the PAS banner. Without the assistance from PAS, he would garner less than 1 thousand votes based on his own steam as an independent as happened when he stood as an Independent in the 2004 General Election.
Now Dato' Ibrahim Ali no more enjoy the support of PAS and of course not UMNO too.
Today 16th July 2010 is D Day for Dato' Ibrahim Ali. It is the day of reckoning for him. His group of workers is welcoming him home to Pasir Mas after a considerable success on the national front, championing the Malay Rights. Many people including yours truly are skeptical about his ability to draw a crowd even on his own turf of Pasir Mas. All the more so when PAS is no more backing him.
The event was scheduled at 2.30 PM at Dataran Keretapi, a very strategic place in the middle of this small town. The place is big enough to accommodate a sizable crowd but not too big to make it look empty should there be a small crowd. This is clearly an excellent strategy.
It was almost 4.00 PM when Dato' Ibrahim's entourage reached his service center in Kg. Mekasar. Here a sizable number of motor bikers were waiting to join those bikers from Tendong already with the entourage. The entourage was led by a number of police outriders who ensured a smooth flow of traffic for the bike procession.

The traffic police outrider.

A Rebana Ubi group provided the merriment along with the entourage. This is a good way to attract the attention of the people along the route. His workers definitely knows how to do things.

This was the car that Dato'Ibrahim Ali traveled in. He waved at yours truly upon seeing yours truly snapping pictures of the event, acknowledging any effort to help him get some publicity however small. I guess holding a bulky DSLR helps yours truly to be seen by Tok Him.

The street of Pasir Mas was jammed packed when other bikers from all over Pasir Mas joined the procession towards Dataran Keretapi. Dato' Ibrahim Ali could sense success from this point onward.

Upon arrival at Dataran Keretapi he was received by the people there.

The Master of Ceremony was on the spot where Tok Him was given the Tengkolok (head gear) to wear and the Keris (Malay Dagger) to hold with while the red sheath he worn bore the words Tok Him Pahlawan Melayu. That was the symbol carried by the Tengkolok and Keris.

Tok Him reluctantly mounted a special chair to carry him to the stage where he will be making his speech.
The special chair was carried on the shoulders of four people and Tok Him seemed to enjoy himself immensely while on it.
This is the special chair left behind the stage.

The crowd infront of the stage. Be my guest to guestimate the number of people in the crowd. A miss by 5,000 either way is normal depending on who is reporting it. The foe will report less and the friends will report more.

Another view of the crowd which preferred to stay under the shady trees rather than bear the hot sun.
Tok Him taken to his seat.

He is an orator. When in his element he could hold his audience spellbound for hours. Read the papers if you want to know what he said. I am not really bothered by what he said. Now he has tasted blood and he announced that many more such gatherings will be carried out in Pasir Mas. Yes he must keep the momentum going and get more support before his foe could cut him down to size which I think is difficult given the support he seems to have within Pasir Mas UMNO itself.
During his campaign under PAS banner for the 2008 election, he had established his own workforce rather than rely on PAS workers for support. I guess this is the workers that remain loyal to him and are working for him now. As a strategist, he is brilliant.

Tok Him is giving a speech against the backdrop of a building with the writing Semangat 46, Bahagian Pasir Mas in green.

Frankly I would say Pasir Mas UMNO could have been better if he were allowed to hold the rein. He not only is a vocal man but he has ideas and will not hold any grudges against his fallen enemy. A case in point is when he won the post of UMNO Division head against the late Tuan Haji Hassan Ismail, he still put Tuan Haji Hassan on his committee. Unfortunately politics is such, only the victor survives.



The finale of the event was the doa recital by white robed Ustaz with Tok Him mingling with the crowd. He was later raised on the shoulders of his supporters to the shout of Hidup Melayu. Hidup Tok Him.

Below the crowd responding to the shouts and cheers.

Ain't that a big crowd enough? Some among the crowd are PAS supporters who are disillusioned by the way PAS is going. Something that the PAS leaders must immediately address. Dato' Ibrahim Ali could win the next General Election should UMNO Pasir Mas provide him with the platform. There are dissent within the party too against the current divisional leader as well as there are sympathizers within it. Now the UMNO leadership at national level must think of readmitting Dato' Ibrahim Ali if it want to have any semblance of winning back the Pasir Mas Parliamentary constituency in the coming 13th General Election.

Read Utusan Malaysia's report on the event here.

Ib Ali's Homecoming

If you look at this banner and read it, you wouldn't understand at all what message is the banner trying to deliver. But when you move all down the road from Mekasar to the Pasir Mas town you will find more banners and slowly you will understand the full message.

This one is for Bangsa Melaya if ever there is one.

Now you know all the banners are referring to Tok Him, or Dato' Ibrahim Ali or Setopa as he is known in his childhood days. read on and you will see more banners.


From this office in Kg. Kasa or Mekasar, a procession will begin tomorrow moving towards Dataran Keretapi right in the heart of the small town of Pasir Mas.

The time will be 2.30 PM tomorrow 16th July 2010, that is immediately after the Friday prayers. There will be merriment to not only bring in the crowd but also entertain them so that they will stay long enough to listen to Dato' Ibrahim Ali make his speech at Dataran Keretapi. There will be Dikir Barat, Kompang, Silat, Rebana, kertok and motorbike procession.

More banners in town.


This is Dataran Keretapi in front of the railway station. Will there be enough crowd to fill up this place? Comeback for more report of the event tomorrow.

12th General Election - The Final Post

This is my final post about the 12th General Election. We all know the result and further discussions are of course available on the political blogs. I will continue to post my comments there as right from the very beginning I wanted to refrain from turning this site into a political one.
The need to inform readers about the goings on in Pasir Mas made me change my mind to temporarily use this site to disseminate informations about the GE in my beloved Pasir Mas. If I succeed in making you all happy and informed, then my mission is a success. It was impossible for me to be impartial as the pent up feeling in me of the injustices done was too much for me to hold back. To those whom I may have offended, I tender my sincerest unreserved apology.
Ahead of us is uncharted territory. Kelantan is the only state that has experienced changes in government on regular basis with about 18 to 20 years as the normal cycle. The trend is bucked this once. It is OK for Kelantan as we know we are in good hands. No one could say for sure about the other new states like the rich Selangor whose wealth itself can be a cause for concern. it is only too easy for someone to lose their level thinking at the sight of instant wealth. Not many can withhold the desire to be instant millionaires given the opportunity.
There is hope of course to go the straight path if we allow ourselves to be guided by sincere group of people in the form of Ombudsman which should immediately be formed. Let us show the Federal Government how to run a state using good governance as a tool to keep the country running and make the people happy.
When PAS took over Kelantan in 1990, they inherit the same staff from the previous Government. After sometimes, their mindset was changed to the same tune as the Government of the day. This was achieved by none other than the adage of leadership by example. If the leaders are perceived to be clean and examplary, the rest of the government servants will just follow suit. Humility is never a bad trait in a leader, it will endear him more to the rakyat.
With this post, I would like to close this chapter on the General Election in Pasir Mas and Kelantan in general. Thank you all for bearing with me.

Posted by Pak Zawi at Wednesday, March 12, 2008 50 comments

Kelantan Is Saved

Unofficial Result. PAS won 31 seats and retains Kelantan, Allahu Akbar.

When the election result was streaming in, I was looking in disbelief at the Malaysiakini unofficial result that PAS had already won 31 seats in Kelantan and Penang was already in the hand of DAP. My ex teacher from the Pasir Mas school days and now residing in Johor called me to congratulate me on the success of the incumbent state government to retain Kelantan with an even bigger majority. He knew that I was supportive of this government even though I was a member of the other party opposed to it. I could guess his happiness at having heard that DAP has taken over from Gerakan in Penang. Congratulating him on that and throw him a caution that the DAP must not neglect the Malays of Penang. He assured me that the DAP won't neglect them. It will be detrimental to the whole intention of bringing the BN government if the DAP choose to be another UMNO which they had been unhappy with all these while. The DAP being similarly race based is still looked upon with suspicion by the Malays. It will be detrimental in the long run if DAP doesn't improve its image as multi racial party like the PKR is.

Today 9th March 2008, the mood among the supporters of the current state government is in a state of euphoria. Who would have thought that PAS would be returned with such an overwhelming majority, 39 to 6 for BN?
In my post on nomination day I made the following prediction:

CURRENT PREDICTION FOR THE STATE
PAS - 33
BN - 10

I can't predict the other two seats.
Well, I wasn't far off wasn't I? The prediction was made on nomination day and based on gut feeling.
So what next? It is time to walk the talk. Those who have found power must walk the talk. State like Penang which be governed by the DAP for the first time must tread carefully lest they maybe accused of the same thing that of favouring a specific race and thus damage once and for all the good faith that were accorded to them.
Time for me to grab some sleep.
Thank you God.

Posted by Pak Zawi at Sunday, March 09, 2008 51 comments

12th General Election - Pasir Mas 8th March 2008

D DAY

Rain started to fall as early as 7.30 am in Pasir Mas. An hour later it abated somewhat and I went to the polling center at the school near my home. Is the rain a 'hujan rahmat' or is it a way of Allah trying to tell us about something bad being done on his 'ummat'. Naahh who would believe such a thing possible.
On the way to the center I saw this banner.
Untuk mengundi kena lafaz niat ke?
The scene at the entrance to the voting center.


I registered to vote at the SPR table where about 6 personnel sitting at some tables with laptops hooked up to the internet. I got my chit indicating my stream and my serial number written on it.

The queue at stream two where I was to cast my vote was too long so I loiter around without casting may vote. I went out of the school compound and took some pictures of those party workers. After that I went home to check my blogsite.

The long queue at Saluran 2.

My son who had voted earlier told me to watch out that those people issuing the ballot paper will be writing my serial number on the ballot paper which will render my privacy absolute. If the serial number in my case 601 is written on my ballot paper then people will know whose ballot that is. This is the catch that they are doing on the voters. They do away with the printed serial number but they write the serial number on the ballot paper. So what is so difficult to check who vote for whom? Who says your privacy is guaranteed? LIARS.

When I finish this post I am going to go and vote and try to protest them from writing my serial number on the ballot paper and let us see how they will react. If they insist that they must write the number then I may have to opt not to vote or just merely submit a blank ballot paper. I am writing this BEFORE I cast my vote.

Meanwhile a neighbour told me that he received informations at the Kelar voting center that 200 unknown voters had casted their vote there. The way they are doing it, Kelantan may have a new government by tomorrow he said. I hope this isn't true.
Last night there was news about my old classmate being struck by someone from another party. My classmate was sent to the Pasir Mas hospital for treatment and the BN candidate Hanafi Mamat was shown visiting him at the ward. The attacker was made out to be from an opposition party. That was a blatant lie. What actually happened was my classmate negated on his earlier promise to pay his party worker for putting up his banner. He didn't pay the promised RM20 and instead paid the worker RM5. That incenced him so much that he went to look for my ex classmate and struck him with a piece of wood. The unfortunate thing was that this worker came in a car with the flag of PAS and thus the blame was put on the party.
Now I am going to cast my vote.
I will continue this post after I come back.
The time now is 11.55 am.

2 PM.

Just came back from casting my votes. The stream that I was allocated had a long queue and took me more than an hour to do it. On the way in I enquired from a party worker who informed me that they had lodged a protest with SPR about the writing of the serial number on the ballot papers. When my turn came they didnt write anything on my ballot papers so I can't have definite proof of the allegation of writing the serial number on the ballot paper.

While waiting for my turn I met my classmate and enquired about the incident. He jokingly told me that some budak-budak were playing with some wood and the wood hit him. Poor bloke hahahaha. Anyway it was irresponsible reporting by the TV media to put the blame on the party.

There was an incident at my polling station whereby a voter from KL found his name being marked as to have his ballot casted even though he hadn't. How could this have happened? I think a police report was made by one of the parties involved in the election.

My friend Tuan Haji Azmy Omar send me these pictures from his voting center at Sekolah Dato' Abduk Hamid 2 somewhere in town where he voted.

Tuan Haji Ibrahim Hussin standing in line to cast his vote.

The people on duty at the voting center. Those in yellow are the SPR staff. Dont mistake them for Bersih's members.

Below are some friends found by Tuan Haji Azmi at the center.

It is 6.00 PM now. The voting centre was closed an hour ago. The PAS side were confident of winning more votes for the KASA area while The BN people were confident of winning the State of Kelantan and form the next state government. Maybe they know something that the others like us don't know?

My neighbour was confident the BN were up to something and will be able to topple the current government in Kelantan. I guess they do since they have SPR to help them.

Posted by Pak Zawi at Sunday, March 09, 2008 22 comments

Run Up To GE12 Pasir Mas, DUN Chetok - 7th March 2008

Lunacy is a Kelantanese in Sabah. He longed to see the goings on in his Kampung Galok which is next to my kampong of Chekok in the Chetok constituency. Chetok is one of the state constituencies under the Parliamentary constituency of Pasir Mas.
DUN Chetok is a straight fight between Dato' Ab. Rahim Abdul Rahman of BN against the incumbent Ustaz Halim Abdul Rahman of PAS. Ustaz Halim isn't expected to face any problem against this challenge as he had been serving the constituency very well the way the people there want him to be. He is very close with the people on the ground and will not discriminate those who didn't vote for him.
I went over to Galok just before the Jumaat prayers and performed mine at Masjid Hujung Galok which is still under construction. The construction of this mosque is solely based on donation and thus takes a long time to complete.
The Imam directly exhort those who attended the prayers to vote PAS as it is considered the only party that adheres to the Islamic laws. I find the way he does it as too crude and may not be attractive to those who regard politics as seperate from religion.
It was raining most of the time so the photos didn't turn out well.

If only they would accept contribution from the Federal government, this mosque would be ready in no time especially during such election tme.
They are so creative.

Guess which party are they referring to.

The junction to Tok Uban in Chetok.

This poster is a cheeky one I found near the moslem cemetery in Chekok

During Pak Lah's time the people are asthmatic

How high is high enough?

In the evening I went out again to take some pictures of posters that I have misssed. Most are self explanatory.

The above picture showed the level crossing in town. During festive holidays this crossing create massive traffic jam in town. Both parties promised to construct an overhead pass to fascilitate crossing during the recent Pengkalan Pasir by election. Since PAS won, the party started the construction work this year and scheduled to be completed next year (2009).

Incase they are accused of not keeping to their promise, they put up a large signboard saying that they have started working on it on the other side of the railway track.

Reverse psychology.

Colorful flags.

This is their promise.

The Kelantanese from outstation are arriving.

My neighbour Dato' Abdul Fatah Haron contesting in Bukit Tuku State seat.

Posted by Pak Zawi at Saturday, March 08, 2008 8 comments