FOLLOWING PAS’ decision to sever all ties with Pakatan Harapan, the opposition pact will face a challenge in its bid to wrest control of the Selangor state seat of Dusun Tua from the Islamist party, while keeping Barisan Nasional from reclaiming its long-held seat.

Four years ago, BN lost Dusun Tua after PAS candidate Razaly Hassan campaigned alongside fellow Pakatan Rakyat coalition parties and handily defeated incumbent Ismail Sani by 4,071 votes.

Despite PAS’ victory in 2013, the Malay voter bloc, which forms 53% of Dusun Tua’s electoral demographic, remains a BN stronghold.

As the country gears up to face the 14th general election, the seat is now expected to see a three-cornered fight between PAS, the ruling Umno party and PH.

While DAP leader Tony Pua said the party is ready to challenge PAS in all states seats and has appointed young Malay newcomer Young Syefura Othman as state assembly coordinator, rural Malay voters remain wary of the majority-Chinese party.

“Orang kampung totok (ignorant villagers) won’t accept DAP. Only villagers who are open-minded can accept, and not consider DAP as a big problem,” said a local resident Saleh Din.

Saleh said although DAP’s Syefura has “done a good job”, the Malays in the area would not likely accept DAP.

Amanah’s Hulu Langat deputy chairman Rusman Abu Semah also admitted facing challenges getting the support of rural Malays in the area due to the party’s ties with DAP.

“The perception of the Malay community has been distorted by the BN government, which tells them that Amanah is a puppet of DAP,” he said.

For the opposition to hold any chance of defeating PAS and Umno, it will have to involve Bersatu, the party of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, said Saleh.

“If (DAP) organised a programme, the number of people like tonight would not come. It would not fill up. The reception to Pakatan before and after PAS (left it) was the same.

“With Bersatu, even those who are non-partisan dare to show up to hear about current issues,” Salleh said of the turnout of more than 100 Malay villagers for PH’s “Selamatkan Malaysia, Hapuskan Kleptokrasi” ceramah at the Dato Nazir community hall last night.

“It would be easier if Bersatu or Amanah enters here rather than DAP.

Residents of Hulu Langat continue to hold Dr Mahathir in high esteem, an important factor if the opposition hopes to sway the votes from Umno and PAS to the opposition.

Life-long resident of Hulu Langat, Mohamad Amir Haikal, said Dr Mahathir’s name behind Bersatu will make the older folks pay greater attention to the opposition.

“It was Dr Mahathir who finally convinced my parents about how bad the situation is (in the country),” said Amir, who is the district’s Bersatu deputy Youth leader.

“For nearly two years, I tried to tell them about how billions were stolen. They did not believe me. Then I showed them a video of Dr Mahathir speaking.” – September 26, 2017.