PSYCHOLOGICAL warfare in the battle for Semenyih has commenced with Umno Supreme Council member Noh Omar saying the ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) has the home advantage in the state by-election.

Noh said while the opposition Barisan Nasional might have chalked up a convincing win in last week’s Cameron Highlands by-election in Pahang, the Semenyih poll on March 2 was a different proposition altogether. 

He said BN had the advantage in Cameron Highlands as the seat was in a BN-ruled state and so PH would enjoy the same in Selangor where it ruled.

Yet that did not mean BN could not create an upset, Noh said.

He said that at a time the people were disgruntled over PH’s unfulfilled election promises, a win for the opposition in Semenyih was not impossible.

This was the “time for the voters to remind (PH) of their election promises,” he said in a press conference after a Parent-Teacher Association event at SK Sungai Burong in Tanjong Karang, Selangor, today, 

The Tanjong Karang MP said the by-election would be a Malay fight.

“When it comes to the Malay community breaking up, the source is two ‘rebellious children’, which is Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), which broke away from PAS, and Bersatu, which was born of Umno.

No said now that the “fathers” Umno and PAS were reconciled and working together, the people should reject the two children who had rebelled due to dissatisfaction with their parents.

The Semenyih seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman Bakhtiar Mohd Nor on January 11 from a heart attack. He was 57.

In GE14, Bakhtiar defeated candidates from BN, PAS and Parti Sosialis Malaysia in a four-cornered fight, with a majority of 8,964 votes. He garnered 23,428 votes.

This time around, the by-election is likely to be contested by BN, Gerakan and PH.

Nomination day is on February 16 and early voting will take place on February 26. – February 2, 2019.