KOTA BARU: Kelantan Umno has signalled that it will attack PAS’ Islamic credentials as part of its campaign strategy in the state. Alleging that PAS campaigners were warning of a rise in vice if Barisan Nasional were to take over the state government, Kelantan Umno chief Mustapa Mohamed(pic) said moral decline in the state was already apparent and he blamed the party in power for it.
He said PAS must initiate efforts to combat vice instead of politicising the issue by dragging Umno into it.
He urged PAS to pay heed to media exposures about the increasing number of sex workers in the state and the rising incidence of drug abuse, alcohol sales and illegal concerts, particularly those occurring as part of an underground vice scene.
Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Mat has reportedly told state officials to clamp down on vice, but sources say enforcement officers were faced with the challenge of detecting immoral activities organised surreptitiously through online social media.
Mustapa claimed that Umno had a better record than PAS of combating vice in Kelantan. He reminded voters that in 1978, when the party ruled Kelantan, state authorities managed to close down a notorious red light stretch in Jalan Hamzah.
He alleged that the red lights were now burning again in the same district.
In a related development, pro-Umno blogger Syed Azidi Abdul Aziz has claimed that Umno was experiencing an extraordinary rise in popularity in Kelantan.
Syed Azidi, who blogs under the pseudonym KickTheFella, said crowd numbers at Umno functions were increasing and they were particularly appreciative of the party’s showcasing of young ulama, who are preaching the politics of unity and the need for the opposition bloc to make good on its promises.
