With just a week to go, candidates are raising the ante
Regina Lee and Florence A. Samy, The Star
Tempers are becoming frayed. Weariness has set in after more than a week of verbal assaults from both sides while their more extreme supporters have resorted to physical attacks. Despite the fatigue, candidates are stepping up their wooing of voters.
Welcome to the second leg of the campaigning when the battle for influence is certain to heat up.
The MCA for one is about to get more aggressive as it works overtime to counter opposition claims.
“The opposition is always attacking Barisan Nasional on all sorts of issues, even resorting to character assassination.
“So we have to keep on fighting back, explaining and exposing them,” said party Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is defending his Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat.
On what kind of issues would MCA be bringing up, he said: “Just wait and see.”
“We know there are pertinent issues haunting Pakatan Rakyat, especially DAP and PAS, that they are trying to avoid.
“We will expose them using facts.”
Dr Wee said he would continue with his hectic pace.
“I try to campaign all over Johor and Malacca, but I always make it a point to come back to my constituency on the same day.
“We now have to be careful and watch out for any last-minute explosive statement from the opposition.”
Meanwhile, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua, who has been criss-crossing the country, said he would be returning to his Petaling Jaya constituency more often and campaigning in other parts of Selangor.
As a national leader in the party, he said, he had to help his party colleagues shore up support.
“There is no point in me winning and others (in the party) losing,” he added.
A survey showed campaigning had intensified with supporters going door-to-door to distribute leaflets.
There have also been more frequent ceramah and walkabouts by contestants and party leaders who have turned up at various constituencies to support their candidates.
Flags and banners have increased sharply in numbers.
Selangor Barisan has turned its campaigning up a notch by sending recorded messages from its candidates to voters via phone calls. It has also been sending out more SMSes.
Voter Stacy Lim was surprised when she received a call yesterday from a number in Shah Alam only to hear a recorded message from Ampang Barisan candidate Datuk Dr Rodziah Talib.
“The lady identified herself and urged voters to be with Barisan,” the 45-year-old housewife said.
Both Barisan and Pakatan have been busier than ever distributing brochures, listing their achievements and the failures of the enemy.
The intense campaigning has seen a spike in untoward incidents with over 1,160 cases reported.
