Li Fook Gao   

Remember the huge rally that was held in Kelantan on Dec 4, to show support for Tok Guru Nik Aziz's leadership?
Did you notice the crowd? It was a truly Malaysian-type rally where huge crowds from every race in Kelantan came out despite the rain to show their support for TGNA. Have you ever wonder why Kelantanese love him so much?

Is there something that we miss to learn from the Islamic way that TGNA adopted to govern Kelantan for the last 20 years? Did you know that for 19 straight years, Kelantan government has recorded zero graft cases among its Excos and MBs? How is that possible in Kelantan, but not in other states that were being ruled by Barisan Nasional? Was this a specialty of Islamic governance where it can ensure God-fearing politicians to be incorruptible?

In 2004, TGNA held on as Menteri Besar Kelantan with only 1 seat majority. Yet, despite being such a fragile government, not a single ADUN was successfully bribed to jump ship to topple the PAS's government in Kelantan. Civil servants remained loyal to TGNA despite the razor thin majority he had for that 4 years. How could that possibly happen with such a powerful Barisan Nasional government we had in 2004; while it could happen to Perak with such a comparatively weaker Barisan Nasional government in 2009? Or is this one of the good effect coming from Islamic governance?

Why are the Chinese and the Indian in Kelantan still happily give their backing to TGNA despite the absence of the 4D gambling shops, lack of entertainment outlets and some restriction on liquor sale in certain areas of Kelantan? What is it in there for them to be happy? Is there something we don't understand about the quality of life they are getting under TGNA's Islamic way of governing? Or is it because they feel that life and opportunities are fairer there compared to other states in Malaysia?

And do you realize that Tun Dr Mahathir defeated almost every political enemy of his time during his 22 years as Prime Minister but one? Yes, he lost to TGNA! In fact he lost to TGNA for 3 subsequent terms! TGNA's Islamic way of governing Kelantan had defeated Tun Dr Mahathir despite being the poorest state in Peninsular Malaysia and being continuously victimized by the BN federal government.

In a recently concluded interview with Malaysiakini, TGNA said PAS will continue to fight for hudud and Islamic laws to be implemented on Earth. The surprising thing about the interview was; there was no big public woo-haa over the matter like in the past. Nowadays whenever TGNA speaks of Islam, everyone listens attentively because he talks sense and he can relate Islamic teachings to our daily life.

Fewer people are feeling less comfortable with it because, now he had something to proof about the Islamic governance in Kelantan. As a person, his integrity is unmatched. He had gained the respect of the people after more and more good things about Kelantan were being exposed to the public.

TGNA has shown us through Kelantan that Islamic governance is the more suitable way of governing a plural society like us. Despite after years of Internet-less period being brain-washed by BN through media attacks on TGNA's Kelantan, non-Muslims are beginning to believe that Islamic governance is not as fearful as what they had thought over these years. In fact, now they are starting to appreciate and see from their own eyes that Islamic governance in Kelantan is way better and fairer than the racism way practiced by the Barisan Nasional government.

Pakatan's states especially Selangor, Kedah and Penang is always rocked by endless news of corruptions, abuse of power, racist stunts, Excos' disunity, jumping frogs and open bickering. Moving forward, they should seriously start learning and adopting something from TGNA's Islamic way of governing Kelantan to achieve zero corruptions on its Excos and MBs, maintain loyalty of civil servants and continuously enhancing the stability and unity between the rakyat and the state-government.

As TGNA said in his interview with Malaysiakini, "we have been exposed (probably being exposed too much) to democracy, socialism, nationalism and communism but not to Islam... Non-Muslim Malaysians should stop being afraid of Islam or being influenced too much by the western stereotype of Islam - that it is about terrorism and that it does not bring development and is backward."  Hmmm, maybe he is right... Perhaps we should give his Islamic way of governing a try....

What say you?
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Li Fook Gao thinks Islam is a beautiful religion.