Will Zahid 'drown' in Bagan Datuk?

GE15 | Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s stronghold of Bagan Datuk in Perak is at risk and it would be ironic if the Umno president is defeated since he was instrumental in pressuring caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to hold the election during the monsoon season.

Zahid knows the ground beneath his feet, which has been solid since 1995, is now quivering.

At a ceramah in Selangor last week, he apologised to the audience for not leaving his home state earlier, explaining that he needed to secure Bagan Datuk first.

"I had to ensure all my chickens are safe in the coop, and that the ‘musang’ (civet cat) won't come in to attack them," he quipped.

In this election, there are three "civet cats" targeting his “chickens”, the biggest of them being Pakatan Harapan’s Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.

Others in the race are Perikatan Nasional (PN)’s Muhammad Faiz Na'aman and political reform group Gerak Independent (GI) co-founder Tawfik Ismail, who is the son of the nation’s late second deputy premier, Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.

In the 2018 general election, Zahid campaigned in Bagan Datuk as a deputy prime minister who was not implicated in scandals, although BN was struggling under the weight of the 1MDB scandal.

This time around, he is contesting with a deluge of corruption charges against him. People are also under the impression that he pushed for the elections in order to avoid landing behind bars.

In the previous polls, Zahid promised some RM2.2 billion worth of development for Bagan Datuk and voters, convinced that he would remain as number two after the polls if they make him victorious.

For this election, almost all the voters who Malaysiakini met are aware of his corruption charges and since his predecessor and former boss Najib Abdul Razak was sent to prison, they are worried a similar fate would befall their MP and this might influence them to choose another candidate.

Furthermore, voters are also aware that even Umno leaders like Khairy Jamaluddin regard Zahid as someone who needs to be “cleansed” from Umno to repair the party’s corruption-tainted image.

As for the young and non-Malay voters, the choice is clear - Harapan and its chairperson Anwar Ibrahim. Umno’s claim that the coalition ruined the nation during its 22 months in power seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

Anwar’s recent presence in Bagan Datuk also received a warm welcome, and this served as an ill omen for Zahid.

BN’s Sungai Buloh aspirant Khairy Jamaluddin

There are two state constituencies - Hutan Melintang and Rungkup - which fall under Bagan Datuk and voters from the former are upset with Zahid. This could deal a devastating blow in a tight race.

Voters told Malaysiakini that the BN chairperson is more focused on Rungkup, which is a BN stronghold.

It is clear from Zahid’s campaign, comprising house visits in the morning and dinner events at night, that no expense has been spared in his bid to hold on to Bagan Datuk, especially since the knives are out for him both inside and outside of Umno.

The other candidates have taken a more moderate campaign approach.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, PN’s Faiz noted how none of the candidates had been scolded or shown the door over the past 14 days.

He said this indicated that voters are considering their options.

In GE14, Zahid won Bagan Datuk with a majority of 5,073 votes.

The Harapan federal government had also closed the Hutan Melintang army camp, which previously delivered some 2,000 votes, and this could hurt the Umno president tomorrow.

A total of 28,158 Bagan Datuk voters are below the age of 39. This comprises 48.40 percent of the 58,183 total voters.

Those aged 18 to 20 numbered 2,814, followed by those aged 21 to 29 (11,264) and voters aged between 30 and 39 (14,080).

Voters in these age groups are concerned about issues such as good governance and corruption, which could prove detrimental to Zahid.

Will the Umno president, who pledged to wade through floodwaters to campaign for polls, “drown” in GE15? - Mkini