UMNO believes it will perform better at the 14th general election because the opposition will be weakened by the absence of the PAS machinery, a key factor in the opposition’s strong showing in the last two polls.

The Islamist party’s volunteers were the spine of the opposition election run, from putting up flags to organising rallies to ferrying voters on polling day.

But those days are long gone with Abdul Hadi Awang pulling PAS out of the opposition pact and pushing the party closer to Umno.

This development has made Umno confident that half the battle against Pakatan Harapan has been won.

Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed said elections are won or lost on the strength of the party machinery.

“How is Pakatan Harapan going to do this in rural areas? Voters don’t just go out to vote. They need to be moved, too, and that is when the machinery counts,” he said.

Loyal supporters will go to polling stations and cast their ballot no matter what but what about those who have no affiliation or feeling for a party, he asked, referring to swing voters.

He said this type of voter has to be pulled out by the party machinery, which right now PH seems to lack in the Malay heartland.

The Pulai MP said Pakatan Rakyat in 2013 stood on two legs – DAP and PAS.

“DAP brought in the Chinese votes. PAS the Malay votes in rural areas. PKR has never proven to bring in the Malay vote.

“As for Bersatu, they are top heavy but they really don’t have any machinery.”

Now with PAS no longer in its corner, Nur Jazlan said without the foot soldiers, how will PH mobilise rural voters.

His assertion is challenged by Amanah’s Dr Mohamad Hatta Ramli, who was PAS election director for the 12th and 13th general elections.

He said about 90% of PAS election machinery which galvanised support for the Islamist party and Pakatan Rakyat is now with Amanah.

“PH’s machinery is equally strong or even stronger than the previous PAS’ machinery as it has now combined forces with other PH component parties’ machineries,” Amanah election director Hatta told The Malaysian Insight. 

“Our job now is to capture Putrajaya and other targeted states and we have carried out technical training, especially for the campaigning period and polling day,” said the Kuala Krai MP.

Many of the PAS members or soldiers who worked on the ground followed the leaders to the splinter party, he said.

Those remaining in PAS have also indicated that they will work for Amanah and PH on polling day, he added.

“The question that we have no workers does not arise. We have the numbers to work the ground.”

His three deputies – Khalid Samad, Wan Abdul Rahim Abdullah and Dr Mariah Mahmud – are also Amanah leaders, who were part of the PAS election machinery.

Senior committee members like Aiman Athirah and Phahrolrazi Zawawi also joined Amanah when the party was formed. Phahrolrazi is now the election director for PH in Kedah, a state targeted by the opposition pact. 

Wan Rahim said while 90% of the party’s election machinery committee at the federal level is with Amanah, one-third of its machinery members in Kelantan have also left the party.

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar concedes that with PAS no longer in the picture, her party appears weak on the ground.

Of all the opposition parties, observers said PKR depended most on PAS foot soldiers for its election machinery. The party founded after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim from the government in 1998 has focused more on big picture strategy, instead of the nuts and bolts.

As such, it has never been able to mobilise members to turn out in large numbers like PAS.

Still, Nurul Izzah said the party had been addressing the issue since PAS left the coalition.

“We have invested and have worked to micromanage our voters. We have trained polling and counting agents,” she said.

Political analyst Hisommudin Bakar said having a strong election machinery is important to help bring voters to polling centres as well as becoming polling and counting agents. 

“Amanah has split the PAS machinery. Many of the PAS members are with them. To say they have no soldiers is wrong. They can deliver,” he said.

The real test is around the corner. Past experiences show that ‎issuing press statements and having forums is just a small part of preparing for an electoral battle.

A critical part of mobilising support and winning an election is the ability to command an army of volunteers on the ground. – February 7, 2018.