YAN: The result of today’s Sungai Limau by-election appears to be a cliff-hanger with pundits saying if PAS wins, it would be by a reduced majority while not dismissing the possibility of the Barisan Nasional (BN) wresting the seat by a narrow margin.
With campaigning, which started on Oct 23, to stop at the stroke of midnight last night, the machineries of both parties have gone into ‘hyper-drive’ to win the hearts of the 27,222 registered voters.
On paper, PAS is said to have the edge, as besides Sungai Limau being its stronghold, the party has 9,499 members there while the BN 9,230 with the remaining 8,493 voters deemed fence sitters.
Despite the constituency being a PAS stronghold since the 1995 general election, many PAS big-wigs like its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, his deputy Mohamad Sabu and both party vice presidents, Salahuddin Ayub and Datuk Mahfuz Omar, apart from Opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have been tirelessly campaigning to assist PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abd Samat.
Former popular local artistes who joined PAS such as Aisyah, Bob Lokman and Abby Abadi were also roped in by the party to defend the seat.
Although BN is seen as the underdog, the area saw its machinery working hard under BN deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, by bringing in central political figures to support Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, the BN candidate.
Sungai Limau, situated in the middle of a rice bowl area, is also home to more than three Islamic religious schools which mostly lean towards PAS.
However, the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak, who held the seat for four terms since the 1995 GE, is said to have won it because of his credibility as a leader respected by friends and opponents and not due to he contesting on a PAS ticket.
Therefore, the PAS candidate is not expected to have an easy ride, especially since the Kedah administration is no longer under PAS but is led by Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, who has a similar personality as Azizan.
This is because Mukhriz, the son of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is seen as a young leader who is able to bring development to Sungai Limau, especially job opportunities and economic activities which are lacking in the area, where the majority of its residents are farmers and fishermen.
Most of the youths there migrate to the urban areas in search of a better life especially from the Chinese community, who make up 6.7 per cent of the voters in Sg Limau.
It is also strong possibility that those who voted for PAS in the last general election in May may switch sides this time around.
Azizan’s suporters are also expected to do the same as a result of an internal revolt by a group of PAS leaders who wanted to remove him as Menteri Besar of Kedah when PAS was in power in the state for one term after the 2008 general election.
Umno is also banking on the 3,000-odd outstation voters, especially on 1,752 of them who are its members.
According to a source from the Wanita Umno machinery, the BN is capable of winning back the Sungai Limau seat based on positive feedback received from women who make up 52 per cent of voters in the area.
However, several political observers described the competition as stiff and difficult to guess which party will win.
A BN source said the campaign machinery has won over at least 10 polling districts compared to six in the last general election, out of 19 polling districts in the area.
Meanwhile, in terms of votes, the BN is confident it will attract more youths because of Mukhriz as well as voters who now have returned to support the ruling coalition. — Bernama