Pakatan does not have enough support to swing Pekan, says analyst

Kamles Kumar Radzi Razak Kamles Kumar, Radzi Razak Updated 8 years ago · Published on 1 Mar 2018 7:41AM · 4 Comments

Analyst Hisommudin Bakar says Pakatan Harapan needs to increase the level of support by 10 to 15 % among Malays in Felda if it is to defeat Barisan Nasional in the 14th general election. – The Malaysian Insight pic by Seth Akmal, March 1, 2018.

A QUIET street corner in Chini 2, Pekan, came to life when 1,000 Felda settlers and Pakatan Harapan supporters gathered, despite pressure from Umno, to meet former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The mood in the newly prepared site for the ceramah was somewhat quiet at 8.30pm last night, but the scene changed after Dr Mahathir’s arrival half an hour later.

The crowd filled the area around makeshift stage, with some even sitting on the road and muddy ground.

However, when surveyed, only a fraction of the people were Felda settlers. Almost 40% were outsiders, including PH supporters who came from all around Pahang to show support for Dr Mahathir.

For the settlers, some were happy and positive with the appearance of 93-year old, who has been leading PH’s charge against BN.
A restaurateur only wanted to be known by Maznah said her family of two generations of Felda settlers did not worry about the threats on Dr Mahathir from attending the ceramah.

“The people now do not care. A lot of people have been wanting to meet him,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

She said she closed her shop early to attend the event, which was held at the BN stronghold of Chini.

“I closed my shop at 5pm and I straight away headed there,” she said.

Yahya Abdullah from nearby Chini 4, said his brother came all the way from Kedah to attend the event.

“I am waiting for my brother who lives in Kedah to attend Tun’s function,” he said.
However, most of the Felda settlers did not want to be interviewed or refused to give a straight answer on who would they vote for in the next general election.

A Felda settler who only wanted to be known as Mazuin, said he prefers and is comfortable with BN despite the problems plaguing Felda.

“I like and respect Dr Mahathir, but that is another matter. Until now, my vote is for BN,” the first-generation settler said.

Another first-generation settler, Abdulrohman Salim said he owed it to BN for giving him a piece of land to earn a living.

“Both sides have their own advantage and disadvantages. PH also has lot of problems especially with seat negotiations.

“I am afraid if they win, the leadership will be all over the place and fall into disarray,” he said when met.

Independent polling firm Ilham Centre executive director Hisommudin Bakar said the event drew a lukewarm response from Felda settlers.

He said this could be because people feared losing aid from BN, as well as pressure on people to go the other events organised by the government.

“There are also 7 other events organised by BN around Pekan on the same day. The support for PH is still strong,” he told The Malaysian Insight after the forum.

The event ended peacefully at 11.15pm without incidents.

Felda settlements have been a BN vote bank every election, helping the coalition have a firm grip on 54 Parlimentary seats in the rural areas.

Hisommudin said PH needs to increase its level of support by 10 to 15 % among the Malays in Felda if they are to defeat BN in the 14th general election.

Najib has been Pekan MP since 1976. In 2013, he defeated former PKR deputy youth chief Fariz Musa with a majority of  35,613. – March 1, 2018.

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Comments

  • How manufactured poverty has denatured and reduced these simple-minded folks to be conditioned as 'cattle-like'. The blind loyalty to a fault without depth or discriminating faculties is indeed worrisome. They miss the forest for the trees and can't see beyond their limitation. 'Dumbed-down' people like these hold the state ransom to bad leaders. To undo the battered-wife syndrome with all it's attendant qualities i.e. 'cognitive dissonance' would be a daunting task! There is dismal hope in the situation.

    Posted 8 years ago by Arun Paul · Reply

    • It is understood that PH will never be abled to make an impact let alone a dent in Pahang state. All these are just fulfilling the old man ego to reciprocate the earlier trip by Najib to Langkawi. Actually it is an "unprofitable" posturing. There are many other settlers in other states who are stronly making a stance to switch their alliance to PH.

      Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • It may or may not happen - THAT ALONE IS ACTUALLY THE POINT AND ALREADY ACHIEVEMENT. If Najib loses vote in Pekan, then UMNO/BN loses vote much bigger elsewhere..

    Posted 8 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • Doest not matter if Najib has outstanding majority winning in Pahang let alone Pekan. It does not change the very fact that UmnoBN days are numbered and on the the road to demise. In Felda itself it is already in fragments to where the votes will be goin and coupled to the scandals involving the land loss and delay in funds in replanting process not reaching all the settlers and the debts of those settlers from the replanting process are a nagging concerns to cause an erosion of Umno vote bank in certain areas. For all it matters Najib can even become the PM just for Pahang and loose Malaysia as a whole to PH , will not even cause a stir in anxiety. It is more for the political party's to show a bigger seat winning and command a bigger say or unless Pahang seats are so crucial in determining when it is on a hung but obviously it will not be so as it is "neutered" by the East Malaysia voting block.

    Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply