KOTA BHARU: Villagers in Salor, about 10 kilometres from here rarely meet Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob, but they are damn proud when he was appointed Malaysiaâs 9th Prime Minister last Saturday.
An âetokâ (a type of river water shellfish) seller who claims to be a cousin of Ismail Sabri, Che Rahimah Othman (pix), 68, of Kampung Gertak Lembu in Salor, said the prime minister was known as âPok Su Yie among relatives.
âHe always stopped by in Salor whenever he was in Kelantan on his official duty,â she said, adding that although Ismail Sabri was not Kelantan-born, but his parents were from from Kampung Gertak Lembu.
âNo matter how busy he was, whenever in Kelantan, he will drop by in Salor, especially to have his favourite ânasi kerabuâ,â she said when met at her house here, yesterday.
She said the Prime Minister has many relatives in Salor, besides Tendong, Pasir Mas.
âHe had also brought his family here (Salor),â she added.
Che Rahimah said she hoped Ismail Sabri would perform his duty well as the 9th Prime Minister and to continue with what his predecessor, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, had done in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Che Rahimah, who has been selling âetok salaiâ (smoked shellfish) for more than 30 years, still lives in Kampung Gertak Lembu with her husband, Nordin Mat Ali, 71. They have five children.
Meanwhile, Che Rahimahâs daughter, Siti Norzihan Nordin, 37, said the last time she met Ismail Sabri was a few years ago when she attended a relativesâ wedding in Temerloh, Pahang.
âI, and also the villagers here, are proud of his appointment as Prime Minister. He is a humble person and often asks about the welfare of relatives here. I believe he will be able to do his job well despite the various challenges facing him at the moment,â she added.
–Bernama
