MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong is still on course to defeat Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong in one of the most closely-watched contests of GE14 – but the margin of his expected victory is shrinking rapidly.

A few days ago, pundits and the illegal betting community believed Wee would retain his Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat by 5,‎000 votes.

But yesterday, bookies slashed the predicted majority down to 2,000 votes.

This means that those betting on Wee will only win if the three-term MP beats Liew by more than 2,000 votes in the general election.

The new odds are reflective of the sentiment on the ground in Johor, where Pakatan Harapan believe that a combination of big name candidates, demographics and the people’s concern over the rising cost of living has made it possible for the opposition to make inroads into the traditionally pro-Umno state.

“I’m betting on Liew,” said a 57-year-old who wished to known as Chia.

He said bookies could switch to predicting just a win for Liew at the tail end of the campaign if the push for change seen in the past week continued.

Wu, a 45-year-old hawker, said he was not a gambler, but the fact that bookies are cutting the odds on Wee showed the sentiments on the ground.

“I believe there is a need for change and I am encouraging people to be polling and counting agents,” he said.

A Malay-majority seat, Wee first won Ayer Hitam by 15,652 votes in 2004.

He fended off PAS’s challenge in the next two elections but saw his winning majority decline to 13,909 votes in 2008 and 7,310 votes in 2013. – April 29, 2018.