Pelangai By-Election : Its normal to compete against students says Cikgu Kasim
BENTONG - Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate, Kasim Samat or better known as Cikgu Kasim described clashes with students as normal in politics.
Kasim, 62, who is also the Pas Bentong Vice President, admitted that he was not surprised when Bentong Division Umno Committee Member, Datuk Amizar Abu Bakar, 50, represented Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Pelangai by-election on Oct 7.
"Actually, I'm not surprised because his name was mentioned (as a candidate for the Pelangai by-election). For this election, the people in the Pelangai state assembly want locals, so BN has no choice.
"If Datuk Seri Mohamad Zaini Salleh is not a (local) person, then I think Datuk Amizar will be chosen.
"He's Pelangai's son, my student. So it's up to him. Its normal politics, where our opponents are siblings, friends or our own students," he said.
Kasim, who is also the Chairman of the Pahang National Gayong Martial Arts Organisation, has taught various subjects including Biology at the Felda Chemomoi National High School (SMK) where Amizar attended.
Meanwhile, the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Honors Science Degree holder in Biology wants to use the experience he had when competing in the previous 15th General Election (GE15) to his advantage.
"Last GE15, I was lacking in machinery, energy, but this time in the by-election, I have more help. This gives me an advantage.
"I am less known than the late Datuk Seri Johari Harun who lived in the village for several years, compared to me for only a few months. The strength that existed at that time meant that we could not cover the entire village to introduce ourselves.
"The former students told me (it was) too late, but I am confident that as a result of their confessions over the phone, physical meetings, they gave support to me," he said.
Meanwhile, Amizar rejected the allegation of a clash with Kasim at the Pelangai by-election as a clash between a student and a teacher.
However, he admitted to receiving his secondary education at the Felda Chemomoi National Secondary School (SMK), Bentong from Form One to Form Five (1987-1991).
"We were not in the school at the same time, I had already graduated by the time he joined. So this election is not a clash between students and teachers," he said.
For the record, Amizar was announced as the BN candidate by Pahang BN Chairman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail in Bentong on Wednesday.
He will face Cikgu Kasim a Pas candidate who is once again elected to compete in the seat after losing in GE15.
Cikgu Kasim was a teacher at SMK Felda Chemomoi from 1991 to 1999.
