GE14 | DAP contesting in Ayer Hitam was never part of its original intent, which was why the party, during seat negotiations with its Pakatan Harapan partners, had indicated to Amanah its preparedness to loan the constituency even though it was allocated to DAP.

Asked about the party's chances there in the early stages, DAP sources conceded that it was a "very safe" seat for MCA's incumbent Wee Ka Siong.

But it was MCA's panicked reaction to speculation that DAP was considering a heavyweight against Wee, that prompted DAP's Liew Chin Tong to convince the party leadership, which was reluctant, to allow him to contest in Ayer Hitam.

While Liew's bold move may earn him admiration from some voters, it by no means makes the battle for Ayer Hitam any easier.

The parliamentary seat comprises 58 percent Malay voters, 38 percent Chinese voters and four percent Indian voters.

It includes the Chinese-majority state seat of Yong Peng, which DAP won with a 2,475-vote majority and the state seat of Semarang, which Umno won by a landslide with an 8,075-vote majority.

With limited upside for the DAP in Yong Peng due to saturated support levels, Liew must turn to the Malay heartland of Semarang to get him through the finishing line.

Unlike the more urbanised Yong Peng, campaigning in Semarang is a completely different ball game as houses sparsely dot the vast grid of parit (trenches), lined with oil palm and rubber trees.

Many of the voters here, particularly older ones, have never voted for anyone else except for the BN candidate and remain staunchly loyal to the ruling coalition.

One example is labourer Talib Abdul Hamid, who complained about the rising cost of living and being denied the BR1M cash handout, but declared that he would support BN anyway.

"I'm amok that I don't get BR1M... A lot of people are mad that they don't get it," Talib told Malaysiakini when met at Kampung Sri Mendapat.

The 55-year-old said he stopped receiving BR1M after he registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) for a government loan to purchase a lorry for the purpose of hauling oil palm fruits.

But Talib said there was no need for a change in government.

"Even if things are expensive, we can still eat (survive)... When you have put your hopes on one thing (BN) for a long time, right or wrong, it is hard to change," he said.

'We've had it worse'

Octogenarian Abdullah Imoh, having lived through tough times including World War II, said no matter what happened, things would never be as bad as in the past.

"I have felt the past, things were worse... You have not experienced the past, the time of the British and the communists.

"The communists were worse, we had no food then.

"I have felt all the pain, so why do we need to change? We are living comfortably, there is no need to change," Abdullah (photo), who is in his late 80s, told Malaysiakini at a local warung (eatery).

It did not help that neighbouring Yong Peng saw communist action in the past, prompting the British to set up Chinese new villages there to isolate them from the communists.

While communism is gone from the country, the fear among older Malay voters lingers.

The polling district of Kampung Sri Mendapat voted overwhelmingly in favour of BN, which garnered 774 of the 914 votes cast there in the last general election.

Such a reality would be alarming for Liew's campaign, but there is still some hope, if he can woo the Malay youths in Semarang.

Several Malay youths who Malaysiakini spoke to in Semarang appeared to be fence-sitters, who are more open to hearing what each side of the political divide has to say.

One example is 34-year-old civil servant Faizal Abdullah, who explained that many youths in Semarang work outstation and have access to differing views.

"There might not be a drastic change in Semarang, but there's a chance of some change," Faizal said.

Malay youths in two minds

Another local youth Yusman Rahman, 36, is also unsure who to vote for in the 14th general election.

He noted that many of his village peers, with whom he had helped to put up BN flags in the last general election, were now no longer staunch supporters of the ruling coalition.

"Many of them changed sides... When Umno holds a dinner function, they don't turn up," Yusman said.

Liew is banking on such voters, many who are outstation, to return home and turn the tide in the parit.

However, the midweek polling day may dampen this, even though it had been declared a public holiday.

Liew is also hoping that smallholders, saddled with financial burdens or are admirers of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, would side with Harapan.

"The combined impact will swing 15 percent Malay votes (in Ayer Hitam)," Liew told Malaysiakini about his strategy for the parit area.

However, he must also contend with PAS, which has fielded Mardi Marwan to make it a three-cornered fight.

Whether Liew can pull off one of the most monumental upsets in this election - not only in terms of his opponent being the MCA deputy president but also the tough nature of the constituency - will depend on whether he can maximise the support level in Yong Peng, while generating a moderate swing in Semarang.