No walk in the park for Wan Azizah in Permatang Pauh
Zubaidah Abu Bakar, The Rakyat Post
HOME ground coupled with odds’ stacked against the visitors are simply idle, under normal circumstances, for any derby match between juggernauts. It’s usually not too difficult to tackle, thus ensuring the host team that strong advantage and victory.
But despite these factors, and as the ongoing campaign in PKR-BN showdown shifts into overdrive, the incumbent constituency title holder is beginning to find that this time around some things do not come as easy as it seems, more evidentially so with crowd support.
One is not faulted to conclude a PKR-BN showdown despite it being a four cornered fight for that “Anwar Ibrahim treasured” jewel in their crown parliamentary seat.
And reality being the order of the day, independent candidate Salleh Isahak and Parti Rakyat Malaysia Azman Shah Othman might be whispering beneath their breath theirs would be an uphill battle against the likes of PKR and BN. Akin to minnow football outfit “The Poppies” Kettering Town FC, taking on the likes of Celtic or Chelsea.
Shocking though it may seem but party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is in fact struggling to muster and maintain that same kind of support the party garnered GE13 two years ago, which saw husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s victory with over 58% voter support.
And one shouldn’t be quick on the draw to conclude that “The Blues” Barisan Nasional has pulled off a turn around rebound in this closely watched title match against the home ground favourites. The Federal ruling coalition are still tagged “outside favourites” once again in this outing.
The visitors now have their hands full trying to appease the public with explanations over the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implemented a month ago, and reality would be, present sentiment working against the coalition.
The thousands who participated in the anti-GST rally in Kuala Lumpur was a success by normal standards and this, if not tackled appropriately, will have great impact on the outcome of both the Permatang Pauh and Rompin parliamentary by-elections.
Well and good for PKR, one would trumpet! Yet, while riding on public disenchantment armed with their “Say No to GST” campaign banner in Permatang Pauh, its now seeping from within the woodwork structure that alls not well with the home team and their support group.
Internal problems have besieged within, and if whispers were anything to go by it would seem this could be the stumbling block towards Pakatan Rakyat pulling off sail through victory with ease thus securing another victory.
While there is still no certainty whether Dr Wan Azizah will get full support of PAS members and supporters, she also found herself battling to defend her ability to become an effective elected representative once again.
This despite her being their former Member of Parliament — from 1999 to mid-2008, when she stepped down to pave the way for her husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to make a political comeback through a by-election.
It is no easy task trying to convince the 70,000-odd voters when they had read reports of Kajang folks, whom she is representing in the Selangor state legislative assembly complaining of her absence and poor service to them.
These questions of her ability to focus having to juggle from between constituencies if she gets elected as Permatang Pauh MP had also been raised by BN leaders and campaigners in their campaign.
The risk of PKR winning without full support of PAS members and supporters is real.
A protest demanding an apology from PKR Youth staged in front of a mosque in the constituency after Friday prayers is clear indication that all is still not well in Pakatan Rakyat house to enable it to face BN as a united force.
The PAS leadership and the Penang PAS Youth, which earlier declared it is boycotting the by-election but later made a U-turn, may have declared their support to Dr Wan Azizah’s candidacy but some PAS voters are still unhappy until PKR Youth apologised for alleging PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is conspiring with Umno over the hudud issue.
Some had openly declared no support and they may refrain from casting their votes come May 7.
There is therefore great potential that votes for Dr Wan Azizah will be reduced without the votes from PAS supporters; Anwar could see this coming and had penned a letter asking Permatang Pauh voters to vote for his wife; their children too had joined in the campaign, to ensure the federal seat is retained.
PKR leaders, if they still insist there is no necessity for an apology as demanded by the PAS supporters, should realise that Anwar’s biggest win in 2013 was in Permatang Pasir state constituency, the PAS stronghold.
Anwar collected 13,266 votes or 66% of the 19,965 votes cast in the last polls, with a 6,632-vote majority.
He won 58% and 56% of the votes in Penanti and Seberang Jaya respectively, the two state seats PKR won in the polls.
As campaigning moved into a more crucial phase, a reduced majority, which also translates to losing Malay support in its stronghold, is staring hard at PKR.
PKR may had succeeded in turning the once Umno stronghold into its strongest base in the country until now but it cannot take voters who had been loyal to PKR in the past for granted any more.
Missteps by PKR or its allies will see Pakatan Rakyat’s traditional supporters turn their backs away.
In the 2013 polls, Anwar retained the seat with 37,090 or 58.56% of the total 63,332 votes cast, with an 11,721 majority. He received 40% Malay votes, 88% Chinese votes and 60% Indian votes.
While BN’s Mazlan Ismail collected 25,369 or 40.06% of the total votes while independent candidate Dr Abdullah Zawawi only received 201 votes (0.32%) and lost his deposit.
Victory may be in PKR’s hands despite a four-cornered fight with BN’s Suhaimi Sabudin, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s candidate Azman Shah Othman and an independent candidate, Salleh Isahak but a big slash in the winning majority spells trouble to the party and by extension the Pakatan Rakyat.
