Malay support for Harapan not guaranteed

PD POLLS | As the Port Dickson by-election campaign comes to a close, it is a foregone conclusion for many that Pakatan Harapan's candidate Anwar Ibrahim will win hands down.

However, what will definitely be of interest to observers is how the Malay constituents – who make up 44 percent of the 75,770 eligible voters – will vote.

During the May 9 elections, Harapan's Danyal Balagopal Abdullah managed to poll 45.7 percent of the total votes in Malay-majority Bagan Pinang and Linggi – two of the five state constituencies within Port Dickson.

Malaysiakini's straw poll of voters in Bagan Pinang and Linggi had suggested that there are only two main contenders among the voters there: Anwar and Mohd Isa Samad.

Although most voters are excited about Anwar's main pitch – that he is a prime minister-in-waiting – many speak fondly of Isa, who was once the lawmaker for Bagan Pinang and Linggi.

Trader Mohd Fairuz Jimin, 34, said he was in two minds over whether to vote for Anwar or Isa.

"Having Anwar here (as our representative) is okay. People are welcoming him. He can be the next prime minister.

"Among the rest, I think Isa is the strongest. People here remember him as a former menteri besar," said Mohd Fairuz, a voter from Bagan Pinang.



Chairperson of Port Dickson's hawker association Mohd Jasrin Kasnin, 46, said most of his acquaintances are almost equally split on whether to vote for Anwar or Isa. However, he believed that Isa was likely more popular.

"Isa has served as menteri besar for a long time. We know of his contributions in Port Dickson. He served all races. He solved land problems, poverty and channelled government funds to the people.

"As for Anwar, we know of his leadership capabilities... I think their chances are 50-50," said Mohd Jasrin, who is also a Bagan Pinang voter.

Personal touch

Mohd Jasrin also observed that Anwar appear to be focusing his campaign in non-Malay areas, which could be to the latter's detriment, unlike Isa, who had focused on his home base of Bagan Pinang and Linggi.

"Isa is someone who knows every nook and cranny in the village, even the Orang Asli settlements ... He accepts almost every invitation for events. He is very friendly.

"We know he has a lot of scandals, but for locals, we don't look at national issues. We are more concerned about the welfare of the ordinary folks," he said.

Based on Malaysiakini's observations, Anwar has spent more time campaigning in the Chuah and Lukut state constituency where Harapan won by a landslide during the May 9 elections.

Conversely, his campaign stops in Bagan Pinang and Linggi appeared to be brief and fewer.

Mohd Jasrin said Isa's campaign technique involved a "personal touch", whereby the latter choose to go on house-to-house visits instead of the speaking events favoured by Anwar.

"We appreciate the personal touch from our leaders because we know that after the election, we are unlikely to meet again. So at the very least, the candidate can meet us during the campaign period," he said.

Wanted: A clean candidate

Taxi driver Mohd Alwi Taib, 58, said his vote would go to someone who was free from any controversy.

“I will choose a clean candidate. I will vote for someone who is not involved in any issues now or in the past.

“If we look at Isa, Anwar and Saiful (Bukhary Azlan), they have a record. We have to look at other candidates who are clean, such as the PAS candidate,” he said.

Mohd Alwi said a trouble-free candidate was important because he doesn’t want another by-election because he believed that this by-election was unnecessary to begin with.

All Malay voters surveyed by Malaysiakini placed the economy as the main priority for the new MP.

Mohd Fairuz said Port Dickson's only attraction are its beaches and there has been no real progress in decades.

"The number of tourists visiting Port Dickson is dropping every year. The way to bring them back is to ensure cleanliness and improving the infrastructure," he said.

Port Dickson will go to the polls tomorrow. -Mkini