SEMENYIH — PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday went on the ground to strengthen the Pakatan Harapan (PH) campaign in efforts to retain the State Assembly Constituency of Semenyih.
His first programme was at the Semenyih Open House for the Chap Goh Mei Festival 2019 at the Kampung Baru Semenyih Basket Ball Court which was also attended by the PH candidate for the Semenyih state constituency by-election Muhammad Aiman Zainali.
It was followed by two by-election campaign ceramah at the PH Main Operations Room and at Taman Sri Jenaris.
Anwar’s presence clearly refuted the allegations by the opposition that the PKR and DAP purportedly were not helping the PH candidate from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) in the campaign for the Semenyih State Constituency by-election.
“I came to help with strong and solid support for the PH candidate. Hopefully, there won’t be any more puzzle used by the opposition,” he told the crowd at the ceramah at the PH Main Operations Room, here yesterday.
Earlier, at the Semenyih Open House and Chap Goh Mei Celebration 2019, Anwar reminded PH supporters not to take the by-election lightly.
“Don’t forget why all of you gave your support (to the PH) in the last general election. Because we don’t want the national wealth to be stolen again,” he said.
In his speech which was also inserted with Mandarin words, Anwar said the people must give their support to the national leadership to take Malaysia on the right path.
“Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is already 93 years old, does he want more money? Of course not, he wants to look after and preserve Malaysia,” he added.
Anwar also criticised the opposition which incited the people to stay away from the government by playing up the issues on the pledges made in the manifesto.
Anwar said it was not that the PH government did not remember the pledges made during the recent general election, but needed time to implement them.
“We remember the pledges, but the opposition raised them up, we have not even been one year (as the government), they ruled for 60 years, what did they do?” he said.
He also questioned the role of PAS which was seen as attacking him after the party forged cooperation with Umno.
“You are Muslims but can befriend those who steal, can lie, saying that I want to topple the prime minister,” he added.
In a ceramah at Taman Sri Jenaris, Anwar said Semenyih voters should see the Selangor government’s track record in developing the state.
“What has been achieved by the Selangor government has not done by any other state government under the Barisan Nasional,” he said.
In this regard, he hoped the voters would give Muhammad Aiman the mandate to enable the state government to implement various policies and programmes for residents in Semenyih.
Semenyih by-election will see a four-cornered fight between PH’s Muhammad Aiman, BN’s Zakaria Hanafi, independent candidate Kuan Chee Heng and Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul.
The by-election was being held following the death of its incumbent, Bakhtiar Mohd Nor from Bersatu who represented PH, died of a heart attack on January 11. — Bernama
No clear winner as Semenyih campaign hits halfway mark
NO clear winner has emerged as the Semenyih by-election campaign period reaches its midway point, with the two main competing pacts working overtime to ensure supporters turn out to vote.
A study by Institut Darul Ehsan (IDE) gave the ruling Pakatan Harapan a slight lead before campaigning began, but that edge is being challenged as voters complain about persistently high living costs, such as the 10 sen rise in petrol.
Activists from both PH and Barisan Nasional said their main concern is voter turnout, as the by-election is deemed insignificant given that it will not change the power equation in Selangor, much less the federal government.
IDE senior analyst Dr Kamarul Bahrin Zahid said the lack of excitement over the Semenyih polls can be seen in the muted “flag war” and small crowds at campaign events.
BN is hoping to buttress the more than 14,400 votes it got in the 14th general election with votes from backers of Islamist party PAS, which received about 6,900.
BN activists told The Malaysian Insight that they hope a silent protest against PH by the constituency’s civil servants and youth over unfulfilled election promises and cost-of-living pressures will give the former ruling pact the extra 2,000 votes it needs to clinch victory.
In GE14, PH got 23,428 votes in a four-way fight. If PAS and BN maintain the same support as in last year’s elections and pool their votes, they would still need another 2,000 votes to defeat PH.
The ruling coalition is banking on its strong service record in the Selangor government and a continued sense of good faith from middle-class voters towards the young federal administration.
“It’s still a tough by-election and there is no clear-cut winner, even though PH started off with a slight lead. But PH is facing criticism because of the high cost of living, especially after petrol went up 10 sen. This is stoking anger on social media,” said Kamarul Bahrin.
“The campaign fever on both sides is also missing. However, it remains essentially a PH v BN contest, even with the presence of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and an independent.”
The state seat, which is near the Negri Sembilan border, has 53,257 voters. Malays make up 68%, followed by Chinese (17%), Indians (14%) and Orang Asli (1%).
Muhammad Aiman Zainali is defending the seat for PH against BN’s Zakaria Hanafi, Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul (PSM) and Kuan Chee Heng (independent).
Giving PH a chance
Hulu Langat Umno grassroots leader Shamsul Zainuddin is confident that BN, with PAS’ support, can trounce PH, so long as all supporters turn out on March 2.
“That is the main issue,” he said when asked about the main challenges of campaigning in the Kantan Permai polling district, which has the third-largest number of voters among Semenyih’s 23 electoral localities.
“We have issues that we can play up, and (PAS and Umno) members are working well, but we need to get all our supporters to come out and vote.”
Neighbouring the old Malay settlement of Sg Kantan in Kajang, Kantan Permai’s voting population is 95% Malay-Muslim. Most of them are either retired or active civil servants working in Putrajaya, and at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Universiti Tenaga Nasional.
In Semenyih’s second-biggest polling district, Bukit Mahkota, Zainal Mohd Hassan of PKR said most of the voters he has met said they are still willing to give PH a chance despite criticism that the coalition has not fulfilled its election pledges.
Bukit Mahkota voters do not see the polls as a mere state by-election, but a referendum on whether they are satisfied with PH as a whole, he said.
“They say if you give birth to a child after nine months, you really cannot expect much from it. It’s only after about four years that their personality emerges. It’s the same with PH, which is still finding its way,” said Zainal in Bandar Seri Putra, which forms half of Bukit Mahkota.
Selangor Amanah committee member Khairul Annuar Zit said feedback from the three polling districts that the party is in charge of for PH – Bukit Mahkota, Kantai Permai and Taman Kesuma – is that residents will back the coalition.
“The response to our programmes may not be big, but we have voters who come up and ask ministers about current issues. There is good engagement with the public,” he said, adding that Malays in the three areas are politically mature and not easily taken in by empty rhetoric.
“In the urban and suburban areas, we think we’ll be okay. The more rural parts of Semenyih are what we are worried about,” he said, referring to Hulu Semenyih, Sg Kembung, Sasapan Kelubi and Sasapan Batu Rembau, where PH fared poorly in GE14. – February 24, 2019.
THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT
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