GERAKAN members contesting in the six state elections have had to adapt and make effective use of what little financial resources they have after getting no funds from Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Instead of printing T-shirts, caps, flags, banners, posters and flyers, they are using an inexpensive array of social media platforms to reach voters.

“The only thing PN gave us was a flash drive with electoral rolls of our respective constituencies,” Gerakan’s Kota Kemuning candidate Jimmy Chew Jyh Gang told The Malaysian Insight.

“Every single sen we have spent – our nomination deposit and the publicity materials we need to print – came out of our pockets,” said Chew, who is in a three-way contest with Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s (PRM) Gunasekaran Kuppan and Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Preakas Sampunathan for the 81,946-voter seat.

Chew said it is even more disheartening that Gerakan candidates don’t know if their spending will be reimbursed.

With finances tight, Chew said publicity materials were not printed in large quantities, and the banners, flags and posters he did print were only hung near polling centres.

Most residential areas in Kota Kemuning are gated communities, he said, and the guards do allow campaign workers to go door to door.

To circumvent these problems, Chew said Gerakan candidates took to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to woo voters.

“Taking advantage of new media is the only way for us to handle this election campaign efficiently.”

Borrowing money from friends is also a problem for Chew.

He said his friends are against him working with “racists” and “religious bigots”.

Gerakan is a component party of PN, which is dominated by PAS and Bersatu, whose campaigns are pinned on race and religion.

PN has reportedly been left in a dire financial state after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission seized two of Bersatu’s bank accounts as part of a corruption probe.

Earlier, Gerakan president Dominic Lau confirmed the party had not received any funds from PN.

Lau said party flags and publicity materials currently used are leftovers from last year’s general election.

Things are no different for Gerakan’s Kulim candidate Wong Chia Zhen.

Family and friends who believe in his political struggle are topping up his fund built from his savings, said Wong.

“With limited financial resources, we have to find ways to save our campaigns.”

Wong said he gets manpower aid from Bersatu and PAS.

He said Gerakan’s campaign on social media, particularly TikTok and Facebook, has been fruitful because the party has more social media followers than its opponents.

“Even though we may be financially strapped, we can still find ways to continue fighting.”

Despite the setback, Wong believes his chance of winning is “50-50”.

He faces a straight fight with PH’s “Awang” Teh Lean Ong in the 54,169-voter seat.

He said his confidence has been buoyed by the response he received while campaigning at markets, stores, snack bars and coffee shops.

“They took the opportunity of my visit to talk about bread-and-butter issues. When voters tell you their problems, that means they are giving their trust to you to solve the problems.”

While some candidates have found ways to adapt, the party’s Kuala Kubu Bharu candidate Henry Teoh Kien Hong is finding it tough.

It is a real challenge to find the money, he said.

While most of his funds were donated by family and friends, he does get surprise injections from well-wishers, such as a supporter who gave him RM1,850.

Teoh is not ashamed to admit he has asked friends for help campaigning.

Despite the odds against him, Teoh, who is in a four-cornered contest with Muda’s R. Siva Prakash, PRM’s Chang Boon Lai, and PH incumbent Lee Kee Hiong, is confident he can pull off an upset.

“I may be a newbie and under-resourced. And the PH candidate is the incumbent seeking his second term.

“But my interactions with the voters makes me feel I have a 50% chance of winning.”

Teoh said voters want a change.

He said while campaigning, fewer than 20 people have indicated they are in favour of PH returning to power.

He said about 30% of the 40,015 voters in the constituency will choose him and Muda’s Siva.

Chew is not as confident.

“The non-Malay voters are still worried about the ‘green wave’.

“They asked me: ‘Why should I vote for you?’

“But when I explained to them, they accepted my explanation.”

Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Penang, Selangor and Negri Sembilan go to the polls on Saturday. – August 10, 2023.