'Never lost in Tambun' - Peja goes on billboard offensive

While it is customary for contesting candidates in elections to put up banners with pictures of themselves along with slogans to entice supporters, incumbent Tambun MP Ahmad Faizal Azumu has kicked his creativity up a notch.

As opposed to the usual old-fashioned billboards with mundane taglines, Faizal (above) has opted for a different political “ammunition” against his former Pakatan Harapan boss-turned-rival Anwar Ibrahim, who has made Tambun his battleground in the looming general election.

In a banner put up just this morning on an overhead bridge at Jalan Tambun, Ipoh, an image of the Perak Perikatan Nasional chairperson is seen plastered next to his latest catchphrase “Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu never lost in Tambun” – an apparent wordplay on the town’s famous amusement park, the Lost World of Tambun.

At one glance, the tagline might bring about the meaning that Faizal has never lost his way in Tambun.

However, it could also be assumed that Faizal, a local in Tambun who is nicknamed Peja, is sending a strong message to his opponents, especially Anwar, who will be contesting on his turf that he will not be defeated.

Observations by Malaysiakini also found that passers-by and road users did not pass up the opportunity to take photos of the glaring banner.

Not first ‘billboard ammo’ against Anwar

On Oct 20, Anwar announced that he will be standing in the Tambun parliamentary seat and Perak will be made a frontline state in the forthcoming 15th general election.

A day after the announcement, Faizal “welcomed” Anwar’s challenge for the seat with a reminder on the pronunciation of air (water) in the Perak dialect which is ayor and not ayaq like in Penang.

In reply, the PKR chief told those who implied he was parachuting into Perak that he lived in the state for nine years, including a two-year spell under detention in Kamunting.

For the record, Anwar was born in the town of Cherok Tok Kun, south of Bukit Mertajam, Penang.

Throughout his political career, he was elected six times as the MP for the nearby constituency of Permatang Pauh.

“Those who are planning to move to Tambun, here is my advice.

“In Tambun, we say ayor, Listen carefully, ayor. Not ayaq. Thank you,” Faizal said in the short video.

Selamat datang ke Tambun 😊 pic.twitter.com/HslwmYSeeJ

— Faizal Azumu (@PejaOfPerak) October 21, 2022

Days after, a billboard featuring Faizal and his "Ayor bukan Ayaq" slogan was erected near Komplek Lai Chee in Tambun.

In the 14th general election, the Tambun election was a three-cornered fight involving BN, Harapan and PAS.

Faizal won the seat for Harapan by polling only 44.5 percent of the votes cast, while BN's Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, the incumbent, polled a close second.

Prior to this, Husni managed to retain the seat for BN by polling 56.2 percent of the votes in 2013. - Mkini