Politicians tread carefully in Kerdau
The troops are all lined up, but the generals are still sussing each other's strategy at the start of the battle for Kerdau today.
It's going to be a straight fight between BN newbie Syed Ibrahim Shed Ahmad and PAS veteran Hassanuddin Salim, in what is considered a national referendum on who commands the support of the Malays.
The troops are all lined up, but the generals are still sussing each other's strategy at the start of the battle for Kerdau today.
It's going to be a straight fight between BN newbie Syed Ibrahim Shed Ahmad ( photo in blue shirt ) and PAS veteran Hassanuddin Salim, in what is considered a national referendum on who commands the support of the Malays.
But both sides are treading carefully, with neither BN nor PAS committing too much about their strategies apart from the usual campaign rhetoric.
Of the two by-elections on March 7, it appears that Kerdau is regarded as the more important battleground as both contesting parties brought out their top guns on nomination day, with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin representing BN and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang representing Pakatan Rakyat.
Muhyiddin appeared more cautious this time around, stating that they are confident of winning by a bigger margin in this contest but avoided giving an estimate.
This is a slight departure from the recent Tenang by-election earlier this month, when the deputy premier said they would beat PAS by 5,000 votes, but in the end this fell short when Umno won by a 3,707-vote majority.
Speaking further on their chances in Kerdau, Muhyiddin said they have to work hard and pull out all the stops if they hope to earn a resounding win.
PAS likewise kept their guard up, with Abdul Hadi putting the trademark Pakatan optimism on display without letting on what they will do to at least whittle down BN's majority.
He pointed out that it is "not impossible" to win as voters are better informed and more aware of their rights, especially the youths including those in the Felda settlements - which is long considered a staunch BN vote bank.
But as expected, the senior PAS leader said it "won't be easy" as BN will make full use of the mainstream media and government machinery to secure victory.
Experience, or the lack of it, shows
The candidates meanwhile were no less opaque when asked about their strategies to win the hearts and minds of the Malay electorate, which represents 90 percent of Kerdau voters.
PAS' Hassanuddin, who contested and lost in Kerdau in 2008, put his election experience to good use, deftly deflecting repeated questions on how he intends to win over the voters.
"I aim to win over the hearts of all the voters," was all he volunteered to journalists after the nomination process this morning.
S
yed Ibrahim on the other hand kicked of the campaign on the back foot as he denied claims that he had paid for his degree from the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Egypt.
Holding up his scroll, he affirmed that he earned his degree and did not buy his way through, as claimed by rumour mongers.
It was reported earlier that Syed Ibrahim had allegedly bought his degree from Al-Azhar, the oldest university in Egypt.
He had brushed aside the claim previously, with BN leaders claiming that it was a dirty tactic by PAS to discredit their candidate.
PAS denied they had spread the rumour, claiming instead that it was an inside job by BN.
The fight for Felda
Despite the apparent "quiet" start from both sides in the Kerdau contest, a few senior Pakatan leaders hinted at the three Felda settlements in this state constituency will be crucial in their bid to break the long-held belief that Pahang is a BN stronghold.
PKR vice-president and Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh noted that they will focus much of their campaign in the three Felda areas in Kerdau.
"We will focus on the Felda areas because we are strong there and we have a Felda bureau (in the party framework)," she said when met at the nomination centre at Dewan Tun Razak.
PAS vice-president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man meanwhile needled BN, saying that they fell for Pakatan's trap in assuming that he would contest for the state constituency.
He mocked BN for training their guns on him earlier, saying that the fight for Kerdau is "50-50" as both candidates are local boys - a key factor in whipping up local support.
"BN attacked me, (their) media attacked me... this just shows that they fell into our trap," he said with a hearty laugh.
The Kerdau by-election, the 16th to date since the March 2008 general elections, was called after the sudden death of BN incumbent Zaharuddin Abu Kassim.
Polling day has been set for March 6, simultaneously with the Merlimau by-election in Malacca.
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