THE Pakatan Harapan government is pulling out all the stops for the Sg Kandis by-election by sending in top-level leaders in an effort to clinch an even bigger win in the polls seen by many as an indication of Malay support for the new administration.

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari, who is also state PKR election director, said even though PH has held the seat since 2008, the pact is not taking any chance.

“From what I see, there’s no urgency for people to vote because the general election just ended. So we have to campaign, these 14 days, we have to really campaign.

“We need to urge people to come out and vote, and not be complacent.

“In every competition, there will be winners and losers. That’s why I rarely take things for granted.

“And that is why I’ve asked almost all the top leaders to come down to the ground. This shows how serious we are,” the Sungai Tua assemblyman told The Malaysian Insight.

Some of the top PKR leaders who have gone to Sg Kandis include de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and deputy president Azmin Ali. Fellow Pakatan Harapan leader Mohamad Sabu from Amanah has also made an appearance.

Amirudin said if the number of voters is reduced, PH may not be able to secure as large a majority as the 12,000 votes it garnered in the 14th general election.

The GE14 turnout was more than 80% out of the 51,230 voters on May 9 and Amirudin is aiming for the same numbers tomorrow.

According to the voting trends of the past 10 years, PH can only count on around 20% of voters who are loyal to the party, Amirudin said.

The rest, he said, would be either Barisan Nasional supporters or fence-sitters.

“In our country, we have the loyal voters. BN has its loyal voters, PH has its loyal voters. It is only around 20% for each party.

“The is a large number of fence-sitters who will vote based on current issues and situations.”

Sg Kandis is the first by-election after GE14.

The state seat will see a three-cornered fight between PKR’s Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni, Lokman Noor Adam (BN) and K. Murthy (independent). – August 3, 2018.