ALTHOUGH he voted for Barisan Nasional in the past, Halim Sadat gamely attended a Pakatan Harapan ceramah to see what the ruling coalition has to offer. But what he heard left him less than impressed.

“Some of what they said had basis, but there were some things that I do not know whether to believe or not,” said the 55 year-old farmer after last night’s ceramah, which was held in his neighbourhood in Sungai Koyan Satu, Jelai.

“This is because they have not fulfilled their promises. That’s what’s most important to the people, regardless of which party it is.”

Halim’s views reflect the odds against PH as it tries to win over Malay Muslim voters in the rural state constituency of Jelai, the main battleground for the Malay vote in the Cameron Highlands by-election.

Jelai is one half of Cameron Highlands and very much a BN stronghold, as seen in the coalition’s high winning majority of 3,507 in GE14.

To win Cameron Highlands, PH strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming said PH will have to increase Malay Muslim support to at least 30% from the 9% it received in GE14.

The ceramah, PH’s last pitch in the final 48 hours before Cameron Highlands goes to the poll, saw top guns such as Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng and Amanah leaders speaking to persuade Malay voters to ignore BN’s racist rhetoric and vote for the coalition that can make their lives better.

“We can do a better job than BN because we are clean. We don’t take the people’s money and because of that we can manage the economy better than BN,” said Lim.

Lim, who was making his third visit to Jelai, urged voters to reject the racist narrative of BN and PAS and to look at the facts instead, such as the Pahang government’s inability to manage the state due to its RM3.1 billion debt, as well as the state’s budget deficits every year since 2014.

“They drive the state almost to bankruptcy, they make the people suffer and they blame us. BN does not know how to manage well. This is why they play up extremist issues of race and religion.”

“But can racist sentiments solve economic problems? I ask you ladies and gentlemen to consider this. Please give us more time to repair the economy.”

Lim said a win for BN would be a win for ex-prime minister Najib Razak, who is facing 38 charges of fraud, money laundering and power abuse related to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal.

“He is the real BN candidate in this by-election, having been foremost in BN’s by-election campaign.”

Amanah leader Mohd Hanipa Maidin urged PAS supporters to disregard the party stance and vote instead for the government.

“The 3,500 votes that PAS received in GE14 could make a difference in Cameron Highlands which was won by a majority of less than 600 votes,” he said.

Amanah Youth vice-chief Shazni Munir Mohd Ithnin said PAS members should not forget the decades of discrimination from Umno just because the PAS leaders say they must.

“I was once a PAS member. I know that PAS members who were small-time businessmen were boycotted by Umno members and supporters,” said Shazni.

“I ask PAS members to remember why you fought Umno for decades. I appeal to you to continue this struggle against Umno and BN and defeat them in the Cameron Highlands by-election.” – January 25, 2019.