SG KANDIS POLLS | PAS members and supporters in Sungai Kandis are still split about who they are going to vote for in tomorrow's by-election, although the party's leadership has asked them to vote for the BN candidate.
Malaysiakini met with several such voters, to gauge their allegiance, amid open calls from the Islamist party's leadership to back BN.
Construction manager Mohd Sabri Ahmad, 30, said he and his friends will definitely vote for the Pakatan Harapan candidate Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni of PKR.
This is because Umno and BN are both arch rivals of PAS for 60 years, and thus it is "impossible" for him and his friends to vote for the former, said the PAS supporter.
"Umno is now dead, why would we help them?
"To me and my fellow PAS supporters, we cannot blindly support as we are requested to. We will support PKR, even if it comes at the expense of sacrificing our political principles," Mohd Sabri told Malaysiakini.
He also rubbished claims that the fate of the Malays and Islam would be jeopardised under Harapan rule, saying the Malays have fared well thus far.
"Besides, they have just started running the country and we should give time to them.
"They have to fix a lot of wrongs done by the previous administration," he said.
Asked about PAS' advice for its supporters to back BN, Mohd Sabri said a lot of PAS leaders were "two-faced" and had no consistent standing in the party.
As to why he would not support BN candidate Lokman Noor Adam, Mohd Sobri said the latter is seen as an unreliable person to be elected into office.
'Umno has bad track record'
Another PAS supporter, who only wanted to be identified as Amirul, 27, said although he supported PAS in the 14th general election, he will back the PKR candidate in the by-election tomorrow.
"I don't trust Umno as the party has a bad track record and it's difficult to accept it," he said.
Ismail Abdullah (photo), 68, begged to differ, stressing that he will vote for BN, for the sake of increasing the number of opposition lawmakers in the Selangor Legislative Assembly.
"We are not saying that Harapan does not guard the interests of the Malays and Islam, but we need to have representatives to provide check and balance," said the PAS member.
For Kampung Lombong PAS division member Mohd Zaki Mohd Kassim, 47, all members should abide by the party leadership's wish, whether they like it or not.
"The leadership has spoken and we have to listen," he said.
Anuar Yakob, 57, a PAS supporter, said he was torn between choosing BN or Harapan, since he is not a member of PAS.
"I am more inclined towards Harapan because we know its candidate is a tahfiz school headmaster, but at the same time, one has to abide by the PAS leadership's order and vote for BN.
"They (PAS leaders) are not asking us to do their dirty work, just cast votes. When something like this happens, my decision is split 50-50," he said.
Meanwhile, Kota Raja Umno chief Kamaruzzaman Johari opined that PAS supporters traditionally backed PKR during elections.
Nevertheless, Umno will press on with campaigning to garner PAS votes, he said.
"Although we know it's a difficult task, we will give it a shot," Kamaruzzaman told Malaysiakini.
PAS has been vocal with its stance to support BN in the Sungai Kandis by-election.
Its information chief Nasrudin Hassan said the party could not accept the Harapan administration as it is allegedly plagued by various controversies, including the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) issue and inconsistent stance on Islam.
"To defeat (the PKR candidate), who do we vote for? There, that's the man," he recently told PAS supporters, pointing at Lokman during a campaign trail.
PAS Central Committee member Khairuddin Aman Razali said PAS should take the ground to benefit Islam by rejecting the "ills" shown by Harapan in matters concerning religion and the economy since taking over the country's administration more than two months ago.
"That is our choice in the by-election this time. We should all reject Harapan and contribute to the Umno candidate's win," Khairuddin said.
Zawawi and Lokman will face independent candidate K Murthy in the by-election tomorrow.
The Sungai Kandis state seat fell vacant after the death of assemblyperson Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei on July 2 from lymphoma.
Mat Shuhaimi won Sungai Kandis with a 12,480-vote majority in the 14th general election. - Mkini
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