Selangor BN is facing a tough challenge in the form of its former boss Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

This is especially so in Hulu Selangor, the home of Muhammad, a former Umno vice-president and election strategist popularly known as 'Mat Tyson' for his height and brashness in confronting PAS at that time.

NONE Now a member of PAS, Muhammad (right in photo) goes around claiming that Umno and BN had painted a false picture of the Opposition and that he is merely correcting the wrong.

Several division leaders admitted that Muhammad’s presence in PAS had put more pressure on them to “win the hearts and minds of the Malays” given the fact the once “likeable” and “loved” menteri besar had done a lot for the Malays and the state.

"Put it this way, even some Umno division heads, the present breed, still feel indebted to Muhammad in one way or another.

"They would not criticise him openly," said a former assemblyperson.

"What we can do is the normal relaying of his weaknesses when he was the menteri besar, which we feel even the people, especially in Ulu Selangor, his turf, will not want to hear.”

However, one former assemblyperson, Ahmad Bahri Abdul Rahman, said he did not see much impact when he went round campaigning for BN for the past five days.

“It is true he is still remembered as generous and effective during his menteri besar days but I feel the people also know his other side which, of course, as campaigners we do not raise,” he said.

“Doing so would be like hitting someone who had helped us below the belt, but there are other issues that we can counter and hit back.

“I feel Muhammad did not leave much impact during the five days on the campaign trail. The only thing we need to do is to continue explaining BN’s manifesto and deeds and highlight the weaknesses of the PR-led government in the state. I feel we can overcome this obstacle.”

Muhammad officially joined PAS three days ago and is actively campaigning against BN, and Umno in particular.

- The Malay Mail