Bigger majority target a headache for PKR workers

SEBERANG JAYA, Aug 20 — Behind Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s colourful and glamorous campaign in the Permatang Pauh by-election, his Parti Keadilan Rakyat election machinery is still struggling to canvass for votes.

It’s not that it can’t get through to voters; rather its target is quite high.

Many party campaigners hope to get a 20,000-plus majority votes for their de facto leader. And that’s a tall order even though Anwar is already expected to win the by-election.

Despite being tagged as Goliath against the Barisan Nasional’s David, PKR election coordinators admit that their rivals have been campaigning aggressively in the Penanti state constituency, going on house-to-house visits and organising mini rallies.

The semi-rural Penanti is one of three state constituencies within the parliamentary seat, and its state assemblyman is Penang Deputy Chief Minister Mohd Fairuz Khairuddin. The other two are Pas stronghold Permatang Pasir and BN's Seberang Jaya whose assemblyman is the ruling coalition’s candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah.

According to PKR campaigners, Umno Youth and Puteri Umno campaigners are seen mostly at BN camps, providing photo opportunity for the media but they are not really doing the bulk of the campaigning.

"I notice that it is the Wanita Umno members who are actively canvassing for votes," said PKR national election strategy director Saifuddin Nasution, who also visits all the 28 polling districts in the parliamentary constituency daily.

It is known that during the recent general election that PKR lacked in manpower for its nationwide campaign except for Permatang Pauh which gave former MP Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail a 13,000-plus majority votes to retain her seat for the third time.

Now that she has vacated her seat to make way for her husband Anwar, the same machinery has been reactivated.

To add to its strength, ally Pas too has kept its promise to campaign for Anwar. The pledge made at the Pas annual general assembly in Ipoh last weekend has boosted the campaign as Pas national leaders descend to campaign and ensure a big win.

Saifuddin, who is also Kelantan's Machang MP, said that the party machinery is coordinating well with Pas. "We have daily discussions and, for example, decided that Pas muslimat (women) campaigners will focus on the Permatang Pasir constituency. They will also distribute our campaign materials," he told The Malaysian Insider.

While Pas is concentrating in its stronghold, PKR is covering both the Penanti and Seberang Jaya areas. Its problem is the Seberang Jaya campaign. PKR Youth deputy chief Fariz Musa is still unhappy with the progress, saying that the March 8 general election result did not give the party much support.

"In one polling district, Taman Tun Hussein Onn, we only managed to get 26 per cent of the votes from the youth while the highest was Kampung Pertama with about 54 per cent," he said when met here.

About 30 per cent of the 58,449 voters are below 40 of age, and Seberang Jaya has the highest number of young voters. "That's why our Youth wing is concentrating on Seberang Jaya and we even opened our service centre here," he added.

Fariz is also worried with the lack of enthusiasm from the BN side in Seberang Jaya, cautious with fear that the federal ruling coalition might be up to no good. Already PKR is facing a propaganda battle against the mainstream media which has been highlighting the campaign of BN leaders while attacking and ridiculing Anwar.

"The enemy's silence is very dangerous. I have been to other by-elections including the Ijok by-election (in Selangor last year) where you could see Puteri, Wanita and Umno Youth members were everywhere canvassing and distributing flyers.

"But at the moment, at least in Seberang Jaya where I am stationed, I don't see them at all. That is why we have to work harder, in case they come out with a last-minute strategy," he said, claiming that the usual BN tactics would be handing our goodies as well as intimidating voters known to vote against the ruling coalition.

BN candidate Arif Shah has admitted that he would be going from house to house rather than organising ceramah. He's known in his constituency as a hardworking wakil rakyat but even he suffered in the recent elections when his majority was reduced from 4,464 votes in 2004 to 533.

PKR Youth has mobilised more than 1,000 members nationwide with about 100 election workers from each state. Their aim is to increase the previous majority to 20,000 votes.

"Sometimes when we go out distributing flyers, we go with Pas workers. DAP leaders are also working hard. Everyone in Pakatan Rakyat wants Anwar to be in Parliament and to take over the federal government," said Fariz.

As part of his strategy, Anwar yesterday launched his campaign platform Memerdekakan Rakyat (Liberating the People), with the high ideals of freeing the people from oppression, corruption, unemployment and high crime rates.

While Arif Shah never touched on the sodomy allegation against Anwar, other BN leaders led by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak have been harping on the issue to question Anwar's credibility.

This was further accelerated immediately after Anwar's accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan swore on the Quran on the eve of nomination day to claim that the former deputy prime minister had sodomised him.

PKR is mitigating that move by printing and distributing handbills quoting a number of leaders including prominent ulamas (religious scholars) such as former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur and senior Pas leaders Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, as well as former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, on the Quranic oath issue.

The title of the handout is "You decide the truth", turning the by-election into a referendum of sorts.

Another widely distributed flyer is copies of the issue of the fuel price hike and Anwar's promise to bring down the price if he becomes prime minister.

-TMI