Galas By-Election: Tengku Razaleigh Says He Will Lead the Charge... So was Don Quixote

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says he will lead the charge in the upcoming Galas by-election in Kelantan for Barisan Nasional.

The Galas seat, once a Barisan stronghold, fell vacant on Sept 27 following the death of incumbent assemblyman Che Hashim Sulaima of PAS. He had defeated the Barisan’s Saufi Deraman in the 2008 general election.

Don Quixote:

Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha is a novel written by Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes. Published in two volumes a decade apart (in 1605 and 1615), Don Quixote is the most influential work of literature from the Spanish Golden Age in the Spanish literary canon.

It is a story about Alonso Quixano (or Quijano), a retired country gentleman nearing 50 years of age, lives in an unnamed section of La Mancha with his niece and a housekeeper. He has become obsessed with books of chivalry, and believes their every word to be true, despite the fact that many of the events in them are clearly impossible. Quixano eventually appears to other people to have lost his mind from little sleep and food and because of so much reading.

He decides to go out as a knight-errant in search of adventure. He dons an old suit of armor, renames himself "Don Quixote de la Mancha," and names his skinny horse "Rocinante". He designates a neighboring farm girl, Aldonza Lorenzo, as his lady love, renaming her Dulcinea del Toboso, while she knows nothing about this.

Don Quixote's imaginings are made the butt of outrageously cruel practical jokes carried out by wealthy patrons. The cruel practical jokes eventually lead Don Quixote to a great melancholy.

The novel ends with Don Quixote regaining his full sanity, and renouncing all chivalry.

But, the melancholy remains, and grows worse. Sancho tries to restore his faith, but his attempt to resurrect Alonso's quixotic alter-ego fails, and Alonso Quixano dies, sane and broken.Read here Cervantes's novel"Don Quixote"

Read here for more on Ku Li leading the charge into the Galas By-Election

Tengku Razaleigh (Ku Li), who is the Gua Musang MP, arrived at the KL International Airport here from Belfast, Northern Ireland, yesterday morning and said he had accepted the offer by the Barisan leadership to head its election machinery for the Nov 4 by-election. Nomination day is Oct 26.

On speculation that he had not been keen on taking on the job, the former finance minister said: “What is there to be apprehensive about?”

At the height of the rumours, he had conveyed a message through his personal assistant, Mohd Lukman Ghani, that he was not happy over what was happening, including reports that indicated he should stand as candidate.

Ku Li said,

“It is my duty as an Umno member (to secure a Barisan victory). I have served as the Gua Musang Umno chief for 50 years, and I am also the Gua Musang MP. I once served as an assemblyman in the very same constituency (Galas) when it was formerly known as Hulu Kelantan Barat.

We will be dead if we keep taking to heart whatever PAS says. PAS has its own perspectives, and we respect its views. Likewise, PAS should also respect our views. I have yet to meet the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak). I will probably meet him on Monday."

Asked if he would consider contesting the seat, Tengku Razaleigh said the matter had not arisen yet.

On working with Kelantan Umno chief Datuk Mustapa Mohamad, he said: “I do not have any problem getting along with anyone .From Tunku Abdul Rahman (the country’s first prime minister) to Mustapa, I have no problem,’’ he said.

Asked if he was confident of recapturing the seat for the Barisan, Tengku Razaleigh said: “We will know on Nov 4 (polling day).’’

On the oil royalty that he and PAS had been championing for Kelantan, he said PAS could not use the issue to fuel voters’ sentiment, pointing out that it would be sub judice as the state government had filed a suit in court against the Federal Government.