Is Penanti a proxy war?
Not surprisingly, the PR has labeled the independents as part of BN’s proxy war. "This is a new phenomenon where the BN is attacking us not through the dacing (scales) but by hiding behind independents," said PKR strategic director Tian Chua.
Himanshu Bhatt and Bernard Cheah, The Sun
Earlier last month, on polling day for the Bukit Selambau state by-election, a record number of 13 independent candidates watched sullenly as results were announced.
Except for two candidates, none managed to garner even 100 votes, getting only double digits. Yet some of these independents had earlier swaggered that they had the means to upset candidates from giants Barisan Nasional (BN) and the PKR backed by Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
Today, three independent candidates have been confirmed for the upcoming Penanti state by-election in Penang, alongside PKR’s Mansor Othman. The BN has decided not to contest.
The number could have been higher had a fourth independent aspirant not been disqualified by the Election Commission (EC) on technical grounds.
One may be forgiven for wondering if these independents will also end up as "double-digit" losers come polling day on May 31.
The odds stacked against the trio are so low that some quarters see their participation as being an encumbrance and an unnecessary waste of time and resources.
Indeed, two of them – factory manager Nai Khan Ari, 41, and fledgling Parti Iman SeMalaysia (PIS) head Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42 – have admitted they do not stand a chance of winning, and are participating to draw attention to their voices.
Their involvement is also seen as a response to growing disillusionment towards the current state of party politics in Malaysia .
Kamarul, incidentally, has been a "double-digit" loser before, having run as an independent in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-elections last month to get only 62 votes.
Yet he is contesting again, openly announcing that it is a good way to publicise the agenda of his new PIS party.
The third independent, Aminah Abdullah, 56, who was a PKR state Wanita chief from 1999 to 2007 before quitting the party acrimoniously, has said she would reveal the bias practised by PR towards the people, in her campaign.
She also said she would expose to the masses what is actually going on within PKR.
But when asked on Saturday about her manifesto and strategy, she said she would have them in seven days' time. "I need to rest first," she said.
Not surprisingly, the PR has labeled the independents as part of BN’s proxy war. "This is a new phenomenon where the BN is attacking us not through the dacing (scales) but by hiding behind independents," said PKR strategic director Tian Chua.
PKR has also had to deflect allegations that it has offered the independents bribes to abort their bids. "There is no logic to it," said Tian Chua. "We categorically deny that we will engage in any form of bribery."
There is talk, however, that even if the independents are not backed by BN, they may get much more votes than expected. This is because BN supporters among the electorate may opt for the independents as a way to counter the PR.
This is a situation PR cannot afford to have. It must emerge from the election by soundly thrashing the others and not be humiliated by a relatively narrow victory margin against the underdogs.
On the other hand, BN has officially instructed its members not to vote for anyone who does not represent the coalition, a directive that may bring about lower voter turnout. But while it remains to be seen if the Penanti independents come out of this battle as double-digit (or even triple-digit) losers, a new trend seems set for more independents to participate in the country’s elections in the few years to come.
