BN at ease with Felda settlers

PAS and Pakatan Rakyat need a 'unifying issue' if they are every going to win over Felda voters in Kerdau.

ANALYSIS

PAS remains adamant that it can slash Barisan Nasional’s (BN) previous majority of 1,615 votes but sentiments on the ground, particularly in the Federal Land Reserve Authority (Felda) settlements, suggest otherwise.

Its efforts to infiltrate the three Felda settlements here have been futile, party sources conceded, and with close to half of the 8,999 total number of voters coming from these areas, this means BN is likely to increase its majority.

One of the major problems confronting PAS’ campaigning in the Felda settlements is the lack of a consistent issue to capitalise on.

BN, as the ruling federal government with direct power over Felda, has moved in swiftly to pre-empt any efforts by PAS to exploit grouses by settlers.

These issues, often unique to the local settlements, are the determinants to voting trends among Malay Felda settlers here and nationwide.

When Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced he would give special consideration on the payment of a replanting incentive scheme to Felda settlers in Kerdau constituency, PAS was left without a campaign plan for Felda, according to party workers.

Prior to the announcement, Felda settlers were grumbling about what they described as a lopsided deal where payments were made only for rubber yields and not palm oil.

Now settlers have the option to receive hefty payments via win-all options provided under a new scheme announced by Najib, who is also MP for Pekan, Pahang. Kerdau, which is also in Pahang, remains an impenetrable BN fortress.

Soaring commodity prices have also meant higher disposable income for the settlers. Thus Kerdau now has a contented electorate who are apathetic towards “national issues” like corruption although these issues may involve the settlers directly.

Pakatan and PAS’ Malay dilemma

In a battle arena like Kerdau, just as was reflected in previous by-elections in constituencies with large Felda settlements, this condition again remains PAS and Pakatan Rakyat’s stumbling block.

“I think we need to look back at our approach as far as campaigning in Felda is concerned,” said a PAS worker with the National Association for Children of Settlers (Anak), the party’s ad hoc machinery for Felda.

Anak and PAS have set up branches in the three Kerdau Felda settlements (Felda Jengka 22, 23 and 25) but are outnumbered four times by BN’s own outfits within the settlements.

Although the numerical differences reflect the ruling coalition’s superior resources, PAS workers on the ground are optimistic that the tables can be turned if Anak or Pakatan can find one “unifying issue” that would rattle the nerves of not only Kerdau Felda electorate but also voters nationwide.

“So far, we have none but local issues that can easily be outdone by our enemies,” said the same party worker in what appeared to be a veiled criticism against Anak president Maslan Aliman, a second generation Felda child himself.

Malays have returned to Umno

But PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali dismissed the notion that PAS’ Felda campaign is in tatters.

The defection of 12 Umno members two days ago to his party, including a supposed Umno branch leader from one of the Felda settlements here, was proof that PAS was on the path to success.

“The branch leader comes from Felda Jengka 25 which is a known Umno fortress. This means we have infiltrated Umno’s fort,” Mustafa told FMT.

PAS has fielded a heavyweight, its Pahang information chief Hassanudin Salim in a bid to outdo BN’s Kuala Krau deputy division chief Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad at the March 6 poll, but the latter remains the more popular, especially among the Felda settlers.

Mustafa is also confident that PAS can win the “psy-war” by reducing BN’s 1,615 majority votes that it garnered in the 2008 national polls, but sentiments on the ground remain favourable towards its political foes.

An increase in BN’s majority at the by-election here, which is likely to happen with a swing in Malay votes, means PAS and Pakatan will have to go back to the drawing board and rethink its approach in winning Malay support, which is key to the opposition bloc’s Putrajaya ambition. - FMT