The absence of Barisan Nasional from the Penanti by-election has forced Pakatan Rakyat to restrategise its campaign formula to galvanise the bored voters and ensure a massive victory for its candidate Mansor Othman.

Pakatan election strategists are outlining all ways and means to capture the imagination of Penanti electorates to throng in numbers and cast their votes for PKR candidate on polling day on May 31.

penanti by election pkr mandor campaign dinner flyers on perak crisis 250509 05 They were a bit worried that Penanti constituents would stay home on the polling day, assuming that PKR's victory was a mere formality.

Since the campaign officially began after Saturday's nomination day, Pakatan has been emphasising the importance of Penanti by-election to local constituents, and to the state and country at large.

They are working hard to convince the voters, who were somehow uninspired by BN's absence, that a victory for Mansor signified a victory for Penanti, Penang and people of Perak.

In the process, Pakatan wants the voters to send a strong protest note against current Putrajaya administration's hardline politics and unceremonious coup in Perak.

Although BN is not in the race, it still did not stop the traditional anti-BN, anti-Umno rants and chants in Pakatan rallies in what can be marked off as the most one-sided and unexciting by-election ever held in the country.

For Pakatan strategists, the absence of its auld political enemy has presented them a different challenge in electoral politics, away from the conventional direct confrontation with BN.

Pakatan now faces an unusual election campaign all by itself to secure an all-important big win.

It has been forced to utilise all its persuasive skills via public rallies, door-to-door campaign and hi-tea dialogue sessions to woo the voters to come out in numbers to vote for Mansor.

BN playing behind the scenes?

DAP election director in Penanti Phee Boon Poh believes the BN coalition was working behind the scene, and views this virtually forgettable by-election as a proxy war pitting Pakatan against BN-sponsored independent candidates.

penanti by election pkr mandor campaign dinner flyers on perak crisis 250509 06 "BN controlled media has already started the proxy war by giving massive coverage to independent candidates," he said, adding that Pakatan was facing a different electoral dilemma without the presence of its established rival.

"We are cautious and not relaxing because it is like an underground warfare.

"We are fighting a battle with an unseen enemy," said Phee, an executive councillor in Penang Pakatan government, told Malaysiakini .

PKR elections director Saifuddin Nasution concurred with Phee and said Pakatan viewed this lopsided by-election as seriously as previous electoral battles.

"Despite BN's absence, we cannot sit on our laurels. Pakatan must score a massive win," he said, justifying the presence of virtually all Pakatan's top guns in the campaign.

The by-election will see a four-cornered fight between Mansor and independent candidates Aminah Abdullah, Nai Khan Ari Nai Keow and Kamarul Ramizu Idris, who also contested the recent Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election in March.

In campaign rallies in this semi-rural constituency, the battle cry of Pakatan campaigners, including heavyweights like Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Abdul Hadi Awang, Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, former Perak menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and Mohamad Sabu, was to "give Mansor and Pakatan a big win".

At Sunday's rally in Guar Perahu, PAS president Abdul Hadi alleged Pakatan was actually facing independent phantom BN candidates in this by-election.

"All of you must come out and defeat these phantom candidates. Give a big win to Pakatan ... deal a massive blow to BN," he thundered home his point to some 3,000-odd crowd.

penanti by election pkr mandor campaign dinner flyers on perak crisis 250509 03 At the same rally, DAP senior parliamentarian Kit Siang stressed that Pakatan was up against a hidden candidate in the form of Najib, who he alleged "had covertly sponsored the independent candidates".

"Use this by-election to send a vote of no confidence against Najib and his hardline politics," said the Ipoh Timur MP, who condemned Saturday's police raid on DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya as "a shameful incident."

"Never before in our country's history a headquarters of a political party was raided until yesterday. Until Najib, never before a prime minister has allowed such raid.

"Is DAP a terrorist organisation? Penanti must teach a political lesson to Najib that he cannot misuse and abuse his powers," Kit Siang told the cheering crowd.

Please come out to vote

Anwar warned Pakatan would suffer a shock defeat if Penanti voters stayed at home thinking that PKR would win without their votes

"That's dangerous. All of you must come out and vote. Only then Pakatan can win," he told the rally.

penanti by election pkr mandor campaign dinner flyers on perak crisis 250509 01 The seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent representative, former deputy chief minister 1 (DCM 1) Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin on April 16.

The constituency falls under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, a stronghold of PKR and Pakatan supremo Anwar.

Penanti has 15,384 registered voters comprising 72.6 per cent Malays, 24.2 per cent Chinese, 2.4 per cent Indians and 0.7 per cent others.

In 2008 general election, debutant Fairus garnered 7,346 votes to score a 2,219-majority win over Umno's incumbent assemblyperson Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid, who got 5,127 votes.

In the Permatang Pauh by-election last August, Penanti voters gave Anwar a thumping majority of 3,276.

If he wins, former academician Mansor is set to become the new DCM 1, another crucial agenda that makes it more important for PKR and Pakatan to win big.