Rallying calls: The Kluang MCA by-election team reaching out to outstation voters.
KLUANG: With a lack of wow factor that will drive voters to come out in droves for the Mahkota by-election, the political parties involved are scrambling to secure the support of undecided voters to get their candidates over the finish line.
Observers of the by-election would have noticed Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi’s constant presence in Kluang over the past two weeks, stumping for Barisan Nasional’s candidate Syed Hussien Syed Abdullah.
While Syed Hussien has been working the ground too, his reach is understandably not as wide as Onn Hafiz’s, whose appearances have brought a spotlight to an otherwise “normal” by-election.
A local businesswoman, who wished to be identified as Lee, remarked on Onn Hafiz’s humble appeal, noting a shift in sentiment among the Chinese community towards voting.
“Two weeks ago, many around me were quite sure they did not want to head out to vote but the Mentri Besar’s sincerity and efforts have managed to soften some hearts,” she said.
Mahkota has an electoral roll of 66,318 voters, nearly half of whom work outside Kluang. The state constituency is classified as mixed, with 56% Malays, 34% Chinese, 8% Indians and the remaining 2% consisting of people from other races. Youths also make up about half of the voter base.
A local Barisan leader expressed concern about a potential low voter turnout of around 50%.
He said the party is focusing on securing Malay and Indian votes to defend the seat previously held by the late Datuk Sharifah Syed Zain of Umno.
“The party is targeting a win with a 10,000-vote majority but I think it is too ambitious. It is good enough to be able to win with a majority of 5,000 votes,” he said.
In the 2022 Johor elections, voter turnout in Mahkota was 55.7%, with Sharifah winning by a majority of 5,166 votes.
Political analyst Liew Wui Chern pointed out that with Chinese voters hesitant and Malay votes fragmented, Indian voters could play a crucial role in this by-election.
He noted that Mahkota lacks compelling issues to drive high turnout, unlike recent by-elections.
“The Nenggiri by-election in Kelantan last month had a turnout of 73.88% because voters wanted to teach PAS a lesson.
“There was also a wow factor in which Nenggiri received an automated teller machine for the first time in the constituency. The Kuala Kubu Baharu and Sungai Bakap by-elections had extra development grants.
“Voters in Mahkota will be asking, ‘What did we get?” said Liew, who is an assistant professor in Politics and Media at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.
An aide to a Johor DAP leader mentioned that despite initial apprehensions that the Chinese community would chide them for collaborating with Barisan, the atmosphere on the ground is optimistic.
“During walkabouts, there were some who were confused by our campaigning for the blue team (Barisan) but after explaining it to them, they were mostly understanding.
“Voters are mature and understand the political landscape. There is no perfect situation. We hope that maturity can be translated into votes,” she said, adding that they are hoping for a majority of at least 8,000 votes against Perikatan Nasional.
Perikatan leaders have been addressing issues like National Higher Education Fund Corporation loan repayments and safeguarding Malay interests, while the halal certification issue has been less prominent than expected.
Datuk Seri Azmin Ali, leading the Perikatan camp, noted the warm reception from the Chinese community during campaigning.
He said Perikatan chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was also invited by the Kluang Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry for dialogue as a sign of their appreciation for managing the nation’s road to economic recovery during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite much love shown to the Chinese voters, Kluang native Mohamad Hafis Mohamood, 42, is unfazed and said he does not feel left out.
“Voters do not care much about the petty politicking and the halal certification spat. We want someone who can solve issues affecting our daily lives such as the overcrowding at the government health clinic,” said the private sector employee.
The by-election is a straight contest between Syed Hussien and Perikatan’s Mohamad Haizan Jaafar, a 61-year-old former footballer.
Mohamad Haizan has used a sports analogy to describe himself as a seeded player after Onn Hafiz claimed Syed Hussien was the underdog in the by-election.
As the campaign nears the end, the question remains: who will ultimately be “crowned” in Mahkota?
