A town very much in the eyes of everyone today
Leaders head to town in bid to win votes
Semenyih may mean ‘hidden’ but it hasn’t been in the past few days. Malaysians are watching it in earnest while politicians are descending upon the town as its by-election is less than a week away. PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim came by for a Chap Goh Meh event, followed by DPM Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Bersatu’s Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and PKR veep Dr Xavier Jayakumar. Umno’s Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Khairy Jamaluddin also dropped in. And so did Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. It’s a crucial by-election for them – as it is for the candidates vying for the state seat.
SEMENYIH: The laid-back feel of Semenyih turned into a hive of activity as political heavyweights make their visits here in a bid to win the state seat.
The name of the town is believed to be derived from the word sembunyi which means hidden in Malay, but the place is anything but hidden this weekend.
For instance, the presence of PKR top guns yesterday seems to counter claims that PKR and DAP are not fully supporting Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia in the by-election.
PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim came to Semenyih for a Chap Goh Meh open house event at night before taking part in a series of ceramah.
His wife and PKR politician Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail also campaigned for Pakatan Harapan candidate Muhammad Aiman Zainali.
Throughout the day, she kept to a tight schedule, visiting the local folk, especially the elderly and people with disabilities.
Also in town were Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir and PKR vice-president Dr Xavier Jayakumar.
Barisan Nasional was also busy, with former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak being the centre of attention and taking advantage of his popularity here.
He has become a social media phenomenon and famous for his “Bossku” moniker. Najib, who is Pekan MP, attracted crowds whenever he makes an appearance.
Yesterday was no different when Najib arrived here via the Kajang MRT station and spent the evening with Indian and Chinese supporters and motorbike enthusiasts.
Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin also dropped by in the evening.
The Semenyih state seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman Bakhtiar Mohd Nor of Bersatu on Jan 11.
Bakhtiar won the seat for Pakatan in the 14th General Election with 23,428 votes and a majority of 8,964 votes against his opponents.
Umno had held the seat for many terms prior to GE14.
Should Barisan recapture the seat, it would have a total of five representatives in the 56-seat Selangor state assembly.
PAS, which is collaborating with Umno to win the seat, holds one seat in the state assembly.