WEARING a T-shirt that said “SST Slow Slow Tipu”, former Barisan Nasional propagandist Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz last night tried to convince his audience from the back of a flatbed truck in Sungai Kandis that the previous administration had given more to the people than the new Pakatan Harapan government ever will.

He told the crowd of mostly Malay shoppers at a night market on Jalan Haji Said that the PH government had done little to improve people’s lives and was failing to keep its promises.

“They have removed all the 1Malaysia logos and banners because they want us to forget Najib (Razak). A lot was given to the rakyat during his administration, but (that is) nothing now,” he said.

“They have zero-rated the GST, but have prices come down? What’s down are the ringgit and the price of palm oil.”

The former Special Affairs Department (Jasa) strategic communications director was stumping for the BN candidate in the Sungai Kandis by-election, Lokman Adam, who was absent from the  ceramah held on the back of a 4WD’s flatbed.

Lokman’s party Umno had brought the truck fitted out with LCD screens showing various party leaders making speeches in parliament.

Another speaker for the evening was controversial Umno blogger Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo.

The Sungai Kandis by-election, to be held on August 4, won’t change the Selangor government led by PKR, said Tun Faisal, but voters could ensure that PH kept its manifesto promises by voting for Lokman as a “wake up call”.

The former ruling party is hoping to use the by-election as a referendum of sorts in the early months of PH’s federal rule.

Malays make up 72% of the Sungai Kandis electorate and a defeated Umno is keen on testing its strength here post-GE14, even if all it achieves is a small dent on PKR’s winning marginy.

The PKR-held seat in Selangor fell vacant on July 2 with the death of assemblymen Mat Shuhaimi Shafie from lymphoma.

Shuhaimi had had a winning margin of 12,480 votes over BN and PAS candidates in the 14th general election.

Lokman will face PKR’s Zawawi Ahmad Mughni and independent K. Murthy.

BN rhetoric on PH’s failure to keep certain promises appears to have some impact on Malay sentiment here. 

While some feel generous, others feel votes for PH would only be cast because of Zawawi’s popularity. 

Retired civil servant walked Husin Talib said the new government should be given more time to fulfil its promises. 

“PH must keep its promises as that’s what many people voted for during the elections,” said the 62-year-old.

That aside, Husin said Zawawi is a strong favourite as he is local born and a popular community leader and religious teacher.

“This by-election won’t change the outcome for Selangor. But between the two (Umno and PKR), Ustaz Zawawi is hard to beat as he has done a lot around here,” said Husin.

PAS member Rahman Jamaluddin is at a loss as there is “no moon” in this by-election, in reference to the Islamist party’s symbol.

“I don’t like BN but I’m also disappointed in PH which has not kept its promises,” said the 55-year-old.

PH should have promised changes within a year instead of 100 days, he added.

Rahman thinks Umno has also improved after losing the elections in contrast to PH which is struggling to achieve certain pledges in its manifesto.

“There will be some improvement in the votes for BN but it won’t be enough,” said Rahman.

To 60-year-old Shafiq Ariff, keeping promises is important as it is the “Islamic thing to do”.

“I don’t expect petrol to go down to RM1.50 per litre, but they have to keep the other promises. It’s only Islamic.”

The fried kway teow seller who operates his stall at the night market had voted out BN due to corruption amid its neglect of voters’ cost of living burden.

He said he felt really angry with BN when “kerang (cockles) hit RM12 a kg from RM2-RM3”.

But he admitted that his anger had begun to dissipate, and he believed others who had rejected BN would start looking at PH’s weaknesses more closely the longer it took to fulfil its election promises. – July 28, 2018.