After two days of continuous heavy rainfall, which hampered Permatang Pasir's by-election campaign, the sun is finally out indicating a good omen for the last round of campaigning today.

Tomorrow the people of this semi-rural constituency will be casting their votes to elect their most favourable state assembly representative.

NONE All they have to do now is make up their minds between BN candidate, Rohaizat Othman, and PAS candidate, Mohd Salleh Man.

Both parties have been campaigning vigorously since nomination to win the hearts of the people.

BN has gotten all of its big guns to the scene including Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who has visited the constituency almost every other alternate day, mostly engaging in damage control after PAS had butchered the reputation of their other candidate, Rohaizat Othman.

PAS exploited Rohaizat's tainted reputation when, news of his disbarment from the legal practise and allegations of a second wife, who claims to have been neglected, surfaced.

BN, which has been on the defensive ever since, has stuck to the fact that the opposition is attacking Rohoizat's character and not addressing the more pressing issues such as bringing more infrastructural development to the area.

Attempting to point out that Salleh Man (known for his religious standing), is also not high on credentials, BN racked up charges of embezzlement against him. They, however, failed to bring forth any justifiable evidence to back the claim.

If Rohaizat is to win, BN has promised to transform Permatang Pasir into the federal government's "golden child".

But, are these issues causing ripples in this, largely, agricultural community? Although Rohaizat's disbarment has raised questionable doubts amongst the voters, promises of economic revival are more dominant within the Malay community, which makes up 75 percent of the voters.

Sixty-six years old Bidah Mahmud, who has lived in Kampung Permatang Pasir for the past 40 years, strongly believes that Rohaizat is the candidate of choice.

"Let whatever they say about him be... through him I believe we will have greater access to better infrastructure and even financial help as we are mostly farmers," she said.

"My neighbours are not too convinced about giving their votes to BN but I think they should because for the past 10 years, under PAS, we have not benefitted much," she says, adding that BN has promised to even fix the leaking rooftops of their wooden houses.

Voting becomes troublesome

Meanwhile, the Chinese, who are mostly small time business owners make up more than 25 percent of the voters but despite the recent clashes of ideology between PAS and DAP, especially on the issue of alcohol ban in Selangor and the demolition of the pig abattoir in Kedah, they seem to have to no hesitations in voting for the PAS candidate.

NONE However, the constituents here have raised the fact that (after having to make time to vote during the general election and Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election held last year), and now again for the state assembly seat, it is getting slightly troublesome.

Senior citizen Tan Ah Lek, 60, who has lived at Taman Cross Street (a Chinese- dominant area) most of his life expressed that he is getting slightly "tired" from all the campaigning and the issues highlighted are of no concern to him.

"I voted for the first time in 1969 and without fail for consecutive elections. However, having to cast my vote three times within one and half years... I am not too keen about it," said Tan, who is a vegetable farmer.

"The main problems we endure here are floods and the lack of basic infrastructures... but these are not the issues they have addressed or have done anything about it," he said.

Tan felt that after the election was over the representatives were no longer concerned about their constituents as "they only know about our problems when we go to them to lodge complaints".

He added that he does not know much about either of the candidates and still has not decided on which candidate to vote for.

Worried about alcohol ban

Similarly, another vegetable farmer, Tan Hai Chong said that: "We have heard their promises one too many times".

"Whichever candidate we choose must address problems we face especially issues of flood, land duty and fertiliser cost," said Hai Chong.

NONE Asked whether the slug-fest between BN and PAS candidate will affect the voting patterns, Hai Chong said: "We don't really care for all those things, all we want to know is whether they can work to bring about some betterment," he said.

Recounting the days when BN ruled the constituency back in the early 1990s he opined that there were more incentives for farmers. "At least they used to distribute fertilisers to farmers... so that was at least something," he said.