In Sungai Kandis, BN and Harapan swap election strategies

SG KANDIS POLLS | Packed into a poorly air-conditioned meeting room in a shop lot on the outskirts of Shah Alam, Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan held a press conference today on the Sungai Kandis by-election.

Sweat rolled from the foreheads of journalists and politicians on either side of the long meeting table as the blare of a motorbike coming alive from the workshop next door interrupted Mohamad's speech.

The nondescript Kota Raja Umno meeting room was a far cry from the plush venues from which BN would usually announce their candidates when they still occupied Putrajaya.

In the past, the flashy announcements would usually be followed by grander campaigns during which BN would distribute goodies in all forms as well as promise juicy federal allocations for development.

Now, however, BN is in no position to make such promises. To make matters worse, a large number of Umno accounts have been frozen as part of the new government's probe into the 1MDB scandal.

Asked if this would be an obstacle, Mohamad brushed off such concerns.

"We campaign by word of mouth, not with money," he said with a smile. BN leaders present laughed heartily at the remark.

"We will campaign by convincing (voters) going house-to-house," he added.

BN candidate's, Lokman Adam (below, second from right) meanwhile, said the coming by-election would be a chance for his coalition to protest the Pakatan Harapan government's policies as well as strengthen the opposition's voice in the Selangor state assembly.

The low-key campaigning, as well as the message of having a stronger opposition, harks back to the message by PKR, DAP, and PAS in 2008 when they urged the people to deny BN a two-thirds majority in Parliament, a strategy which proved a great success.

Radical change

While BN takes a leaf from PKR's playbook, PKR is settling into the seat of power once held by BN.

At an event in Sungai Kandis hours before Mohamad's press conference, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari handed over RM713,400 worth of aid to about 180 people from Sungai Kandis as well as neighbouring areas such as Kota Raja.

The aid included RM376,000 in micro-credit loans under Selangor's Hijrah scheme.

Perhaps aware that the handouts could be deemed as goodies that only come during an election time, Amirudin repeatedly stressed in his speech that the Selangor government doesn't just give out these handouts.

"It is not just about giving goodies or free services or money. The Selangor government also plans for social safety and the welfare of the community," he said.

He cited scholarships, micro-loans and skills training workshops as among its community uplifting initiatives.

He also gave a subtle reminder about the shift in power in Putrajaya by telling the 200-strong crowd present that Selangor was now able to obtain aid and assistance from federal agencies all under the control of the Harapan administration.

This was a radical change from the days before May 9 when campaigning in Selangor would see state and federal government resources pitted against each other.

But while giving handouts near elections may seem like a page from the BN manual, Amirudin (above, right) appeared to be more careful in his presentation.

Fair play chance

For one, he made no call for the aid recipients to vote for PKR.

And PKR's Sungai Kandis candidate Zawawi Mughni (above, left), who was present at the aid-presentation ceremony, was not paraded on stage to highlight him as the party's nominee as BN was wont to do with its candidates in the past.

Zawawi only popped up at Amirudin's side during a photo-op at the end of the event and for the press conference after.

Whether Amirudin and Harapan will co-opt state and federal government machinery during the campaign period, however, remains to be seen.

With BN no longer able to use federal resources, this presents an opportunity for Harapan to set an example in fair election conduct on a level playing field which they themselves have wanted for decades.

The Sungai Kandis state seat fell vacant with the death of incumbent assemblyperson Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei early this month due to complications from lymphoma.

The by-election has been set for Aug 4 with nomination day tomorrow.

It is expected to be a straight fight between BN and PKR. - Mkini