SERI SETIA POLLS | An Umno member for over 30 years, 63-year-old Ismail Ah had no reservations when instructed by his local division leader to help Seri Setia PAS candidate Dr Halimah Mohd Ali in her by-election campaign.

The Umno branch leader told Malaysiakini that this was because there is no animosity between supporters of the two parties, and that the by-election is an opportunity to further strengthen existing ties.

"For me, this is normal in politics. For us here, Umno and PAS supporters have no problems with each other.

"We have good ties. We are friends, we squabble, and the next day we make up. There is no animosity between us," he said yesterday when asked about Umno's move to pledge support for PAS for the Selangor seat.

Ismail, who estimates that there are about 1,200 Umno members registered as voters in Seri Setia, said he expected more of the party's machinery to step up and volunteer to assist PAS.

"We received orders from the division leader, that now is the time for Umno to unite with PAS. So when this by-election happened, it was our time to help.

"We were instructed to help PAS, so we will help. Follow the boss' orders," said Ismail (photo), who joined Halimah and her team to visit several low-income households at the Seri Meranti flats, located in the Ara Damansara polling district.

Chinese-majority Ara Damansara has 4,786 voters – the largest of Seri Setia’s 24 polling districts.

Accompanied by Ismail and several local PAS members, Halimah visited three households living in the five-storey flat, where she was informed that the owners had various pre-existing conditions and required assistance.

The doctor, who runs her own private practice in Klang, offered them health advice on top of campaigning for support.

"Tinggi sikit sebab penat baru lepas kacau rendang (It’s a bit high because I’m tired after stirring the rendang)," quipped 63-year-old Masitah Abdullah (photo) as Halimah read out her blood pressure.

As Halimah walked out of Masitah's home on the third floor, she was stopped along the narrow corridor by a middle-aged woman.

Met by Malaysiakini, the woman introduced herself as Wan Rosnaini Alias, 60, a local Wanita Umno branch leader.

"Sekarang ni confirm (Now I confirm my support)," she was overheard telling Halimah, in response to the former Selat Klang assemblyperson's appeal for support.

"Aku ada ni (I have this)," said Ismail as he walked past Wan Rosnaini, pointing to Halimah's campaign button pinned on his red Umno shirt.

A ‘thermostat’ for Harapan support

Halimah later told reporters that PAS aims to focus their campaign on the low-income groups in the area.

"I go on these walkabouts to introduce myself and alhamdulillah they have welcomed me," said the soft-spoken mother of six doctors.

PAS, according to Halimah, is also working to attract the 37 percent of voters aged below 40 to come out and vote on the Sept 8 polling day.

She believes that the by-election is a “thermostat” to gauge Harapan’s current level of support, despite the ruling coalition successfully retaining their supermajority in Selangor in the 14th general election.

"This is the thermostat for the Harapan government.

"Are they being accepted well by the people, or are the people tired with the series of by-elections?"

Problems unaddressed

Halimah later visited a night market near the Lembah Subang People's Housing Project (PPR), where she took time to engage with stall owners.

Goreng pisang seller Rafeah Ramli, 60, lamented that the plight of the Lembah Subang PPR dwellers has largely been left unaddressed.

"I just hope that whoever is elected will be able to help us, especially the ones living at the end blocks," she said, citing the poor management of facilities.

Housewife and PAS supporter Rafidah Said (photo), 38, echoed Rafeah's sentiments on her hope for the new elected representative.

But the same time, she remained wary of Umno's renewed dalliance with PAS.

"It looks like Umno is only using PAS to gain more support.”

On the surface, recent statements made by Umno and PAS leaders appears to indicate a sense of confidence that their cooperation could sway a portion of the 55 percent Malay constituents.

But whether their combined support will be able to offset PKR's 19,372-vote majority in GE14 remains to be seen.

In the May 9 polls, Umno and PAS secured 14,441 votes against PKR's 29,250, from a total 52,650 ballots cast.

The Sept 8 by-election was triggered with the passing of incumbent Shaharuddin Badaruddin on Aug 2.

Shaharuddin won the seat after beating out BN candidate Yusoff M Haniff, PAS’ Mohd Ghazali Daud and independent candidate S Vigneswaran.