Umno survey shows it has fighting chance

A survey carried out by the Permatang Pauh Umno division found that the grassroots sentiments in Penanti were mixed and many were without any clear political preference.

This gives Umno a fighting chance to score an upset win in the upcoming state by-election in Penang, claims the division chief Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid.

According to Abdul Jalil, unlike last year’s general election and Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election, there was no clear cut inclination of the electorates toward any party in Penanti.

Moreover, he claimed that the accumulated grassroots feedbacks revealed a growing undercurrent of grouses against PKR and Pakatan Rakyat.

"These people can be swayed towards Umno and Barisan Nasional," he told Malaysiakini today when asked on whether Permatang Pauh Umno would want to contest the by-election or give a walkover to rival PKR.

According to Abdul Jalil, there was no overwhelming grassroots sentiment for or against any party this time around.

But a marginal percentage of people, who voted against Umno the last time around, felt being let down by PKR and Pakatan’s indifferent performance and intense politicking.

"Our survey revealed that there is no clear direction on which the voters would vote.

"Thus, Umno has a fighting chance to regain the seat," said Abdul Jalil, a former Penanti assemblyperson (2004-2008).

Report to be given to Najib

The Permatang Pauh division has compiled a report of the grassroots’ feedback over the past few days for the party’s top leaders.

The report to be submitted by this week to Umno president, Najib Abdul Razak, will provide vital information to assist the party and the Barisan Nasional supreme council to reach a consensus on whether the federal ruling coalition should contest the by-election.

Prime Minister and BN chairperson Najib has indicated that Umno may not contest the by-election if all BN component parties agree to it.

He said that Umno was contemplating not to contest because it would be a waste of public funds.

When asked whether he would recommend the party leadership to contest the seat following the encouraging grassroot feedbacks, Abdul Jalil said the division would not do so, but rather abide by whatever decision taken by the party top leadership.

"I am a party man. I will follow the party leadership directive," he said, adding Permatang Pauh division has not shortlisted any candidates either for the contest.

Added incentive for PKR

He said any Umno decision on the subject of “contest or no contest” would make no difference to Penang’s political landscape.

"If we win, Umno will have an extra assemblyperson. But it will not affect the state government.

"If we lose, it will remain status quo and the winning PKR man may likely be appointed as an executive councillor and deputy chief minister.

"It would be an added incentive in PKR’s campaign," acknowledged Abdul Jalil, who lost to electoral debutant Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin from PKR in the 2008 general election.

Umno has 11 elected representatives at the state legislature, while PKR now has eight since the Penanti fell vacant when incumbent representative Fairus, 33, resigned last Thursday, April 16.

Penanti falls under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, a PKR stronghold.

PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim won the Permatang Pauh by-election last August with a landslide majority.

On April 8, Fairus resigned as the state DCM 1 and executive councillor from Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s state cabinet after he was embroiled in a graft investigation carried out by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Fairus resignation as Penanti assemblyperson has paved the way for the sixth by-election in the country since last year’s general election.

Penanti, which has 15,241 registered voters, comes under Anwar’s Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, a PKR political fortress.

Permatang Pauh Umno division has 96 branches with some 18,000 members of which 27 branches with some 6,000 members are from Penanti.