Convincing constituents: Raja Mohamed Affandi speaking during a ceramah in Kampung Bukit Kuang. — Bernama
CHUKAI: As it approaches the halfway point, campaigning for the Kemaman parliamentary by-election appears to be lukewarm at best, matching the dreary rain that falls nearly every evening in the constituency.
The lack of campaign posters and party flags are the most noticeable signs that the campaigning atmosphere is almost non-existent here, but in any case seems to be dominated by Barisan Nasional candidate Gen (Rtd) Tan Sri Raja Mohamed Affandi Raja Mohamed Noor.
The ceramah organised by both contesting parties, Barisan and PAS, have thus far been small scale and aired live, and the turnout dismal, with some having only a handful as audience.
The candidates meanwhile have been using different approaches, with Raja Mohamed Affandi packing his daily schedule with programmes from sunrise till late at night, while PAS candidate Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar, who had allegedly been in Kuala Lumpur a day after nomination day, seemed to be dedicating his time to his duties as Terengganu Mentri Besar.
He was spotted managing flood evacuees in other districts in the state in the first seven days of campaigning.
Perdana Centre of Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, Razak Faculty of Technology and Informatics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM Perdana Centre) lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Mazlan Ali said the different campaign approaches was likely due to PAS’ confidence after having scored significant victories in the 15th General Election (GE15) last year and the state elections earlier this year.
“GE15 witnessed PAS winning every parliamentary seat in Terengganu.
“Even in Kemaman, which was once a Barisan stronghold, it won with a majority of over 27,000 votes. Then there’s its clean sweep of 32 seats during the recent state elections.
“This has made PAS confident. Looking at the trend of reception in Terengganu, maybe PAS feels it doesn’t need to campaign much. The state’s Mentri Besar is the candidate, that makes it even more sure that it will win,” he told Bernama.
Statements made by PAS vice-president Datuk Idris Ahmad during recent ceramah seem to support such opinions, as he joked that even if a mineral water bottle was made a candidate for the party, it would win, possibly with a larger majority of 30,000.
In terms of campaign issues, PAS has been harping on the different allocations given to Opposition MPs, efforts to topple the Federal Government as soon as possible, and to propel Ahmad Samsuri to a higher position if he was elected MP.
Barisan, for its part, has been talking about the need for a ‘full-time’ MP, and countering PAS’ accusations that the Federal Government was guiding Malaysia towards secularism.
Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Institution of Malay Rulers Chair Fellow, Mujibu Abd Muis, expects campaigning would turn more aggressive in the last half of the campaigning period as candidates enter high gear to convince voters.
“Obviously, after identifying safe, battleground, and hostile areas, they can then plan what they can do,” he said, adding that it was possible that online campaigning would become the main option of campaigning during the monsoon period, and candidates might call off or pause their political campaigns for search and rescue efforts or disaster management.
“Face-to-face campaigning will still happen – not on a large scale, but in a personal manner,” Mujibu said.
Kemaman Umno division media chairman Wan Abdul Hakim Wan Mokhtar said the first phase of campaigning for Barisan was on the right track and had proceeded as planned.
“Our plans went was we wanted and the response was good. For instance, when we nominated Raja Mohamed Affandi, it was a game-changer because suddenly the Mentri Besar had to contest,” he said.
