VOTE FOR BN, PAS LEADERSHIP TELLS MEMBERS IN SUNGAI KANDIS

SHAH ALAM: From the many analyses written about the ongoing campaign for the Sungai Kandis by-election, none has touched on the tug-of-war for Pas’ votes.

This was despite the main candidates — PKR’s Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni and Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Lokman Noor Adam — claiming to have the Islamic party’s backing.

But at a ceramah on Saturday night, Pas’ top leaders had made their pick — party members were told to vote for BN, in a move that could dent PKR’s majority in the by-election.

In the 14th General Election, Pas candidate Mohd Yusof Abdullah polled 7,573 votes, while BN candidate Datuk Kamaruzzaman Johari garnered 11,518 and Parti Rakyat Malaysia candidate Hanafiah Husin got 76 votes. Mat Shuhaimi Shafiei of PKR emerged the winner with 23,998 votes.

But if all Pas members were to vote for Lokman, PKR’s majority could be considerably reduced even if it wins the byelection.

But a question already loomed ahead of the Pas leadership’s decision on Saturday night: would Pas members adhere faithfully to the party’s instruction?

Earlier, several influential local Pas leaders appeared to be indecisive over the encouragement by at least two Pas figureheads — vice-president Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah and central committee member Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz — to pool their votes for BN.

The local Pas leaders were former village headmen, whose appointment came to an end after the formation of the state government.

It was reported that one of them said the instruction or encouragement need not be heeded as voting was a personal right.

Another said he would have to make a decision based on the party leadership’s take on the matter.

In the first week of campaigning, Selangor Pas leaders, too, stated that the extension of the olive branch to BN was only limited to its non-involvement in the contest.

At that time, Pas’ aim was clear — it would vote for BN only to increase the number of opposition seats in the state assembly.

No more, no less.

However, Lokman’s presence at Saturday night’s ceramah lent a symbolic weight to the instruction — that Umno and Pas were attempting to forge a new political cooperation.

But the leadership’s sentiments might not be congruent with the Pas grassroots here.

The race for Sungai Kandis had finally become intense, and no longer lukewarm.