PETALING JAYA: Three major political coalitions – Pakatan Harapan, Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional – will ride into battle in six states carrying baggage of soured relationships.
Officially, some key figures involved say they are determined to "play decent" and not go on the election trail filled with vengeance.
The state elections for Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan are due to be held within the next two months.
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Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu are held by Perikatan while Penang, Selangor and Negri are ruled by the Pakatan-Barisan alliance under the unity government.
Former Umno MP Tan Sri Annuar Musa, who joined PAS after being sacked from Umno, said he was perplexed people think that he will be seeking revenge.
"Vengeance?" he replied simply when asked if that would be a focus in his campaign.
Observers see the coming state elections are shaping up to be a "battle of vengeance".
In Selangor, incumbent chief minister Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari will take on his former mentor and predecessor Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, who is leading Perikatan's election machinery in the state.
Former Selangor Umno chief and former Tanjong Karang MP Tan Sri Noh Omar, who was also sacked from Umno, has also joined forces with Perikatan.
On his part, Amirudin pledged not to "get personal" when campaigning.
"For me, nothing is personal. The fight is between the unity government and Perikatan," he said.
PKR information chief and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said no matter what Perikatan leaders allege, Pakatan and Barisan would not have an "eye for an eye" approach.
The Communications and Digital Minister said that the Pakatan-Barisan team has a strategy – both general and customised – to win Malay votes.
"What I can share is that it will not involve calling our political opponents 'enemies of God' like what we saw in Kedah a few nights ago," he said.
A preacher affiliated with PAS likened the enemies of PAS to "enemies of God" at a Perikatan-led gathering in Kedah on June 24.
"As for the situation in Selangor, I am not certain if it can be called a battle of vengeance as we still do not know where Amirudin and Azmin will be contesting – or if there will be a Gombak-like showdown as seen in the last general election," said Fahmi, referring to GE15 when Amirudin soundly defeated Azmin in the Gombak parliamentary constituency.
In Negri, former Umno bigwigs like ex-Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin and Annuar are expected to shore up support for Perikatan.
However, Negri Umno chief and Jelebu MP Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias also played down talk of a vengeance element.
"No, not with vengeance," he said.
In Kelantan and Terengganu, PAS will want to prove it can win big after Umno withdrew from the Muafakat Nasional political cooperation pact.
Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said the main issue in east coast states was not about Muafakat's failure.
"I believe that Umno's top leaders only want Muafakat if they can be the 'big brother'. Umno grassroots most likely differ – they wanted Muafakat for both PAS and Umno because they were the ones taking heat from many years of political conflict between both parties.
"For me, Umno will go to any means to win – including hitting below the belt – because these state elections might be the 'final blow' to their top leaders," he said.
Ahmad Samsuri said Umno and PKR were under intense pressure to win the Malay vote, which went to Perikatan in GE15.
In Kedah, Perikatan national election director and Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Sanusi Md Nor has traded barbs with Anwar over the past few months over the refusal of the Federal Government to approve an aerotropolis in the state.
However, he said he would not be vengeful in his campaigning.
"Perikatan will contest to retain Kedah so we can continue our work for the people. As for the aerotropolis, I am sure Putrajaya will have to approve it sooner or later as it will benefit the country too. Even if it does not go through, Perikatan can develop Kedah on its own," said Mohamad Sanusi.
