TO understand why Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional are gleeful that PAS is playing the role of spoiler in GE14, just head to the parliamentary constituency of Gombak.

Here, the BN candidate Abdul Rahim Kamarudin is confident of defeating incumbent Azmin Ali – not because he has better personal charisma or party machinery, but because his PKR opponent no longer enjoys the backing of PAS.‎

“We are confident of victory. In the past, we had to face a bloc (Pakatan Rakyat), but now PAS is also fielding a candidate,” Rahim told Malaysia Decides.

The subject of much speculation this election is the close relationship the Umno president Najib has with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, which have resulted in the Islamic party leadership becoming antagonistic towards its former allies in the opposition.

A key strategy of Hadi’s is to field candidates in all seats in West Malaysia and split the Malay vote that ordinarily would have gone to the opposition. ‎

In the 2008 elections, Azmin defeated BN’s Said Anuar Said Ahmad by 6,867 votes. He retained the seat in 2013, but with a smaller majority of 4,734 votes.

This year, the Gombak parliamentary seat has 141,121 voters, of which 75% are Malay.

Policy researcher Prof Dr Kartini Aboo Thalib Khalid agreed that while PAS’ refusal to join Pakatan Harapan would have a negative effect on electoral support for Azmin, younger and first-time voters were likely come to his rescue.

“The addition to the number of voters, and first-time voters, could give Azmin the advantage.

“Azmin has proven that he can run Selangor well,” said the assistant director at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies.

Rahim, Azmin and PAS candidate Khairil Nizam Khirudin will square off in a three-cornered fight for Gombak.

Research findings of Merdeka Centre released the day before nomination day on Saturday indicate Malay voters could swing from BN, but their votes would be split between the PH coalition and PAS. – April 30, 2018.