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Undilah PAS : MENENTANG KEZALIMAN & MENEGAKKAN KEADILAN
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EITHER WAY, A "SHOCKER" IN STORE FOR PERMATANG PAUH
by Azman Ujang
BUKIT MERTAJAM, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- " I'm fighting against the 49th
most powerful person in Asia. I may not even be the 49th million most
powerful person in Asia. But if you ask me of my chances of winning,
I'm confident, otherwise I won't be contesting," said Barisan Nasional
(BN) candidate Datuk Dr Ibrahim Saad.
Dr Ibrahim was, rather cynically, referring to his opponent in next
week's general election for the highly-publicised parliamentary seat of
Permatang Pauh, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
It was Asiaweek magazine that voted Dr Wan Azizah to the "powerful
person in Asia" position.
Permatang Pauh is the constituency held for four terms by Dr Wan
Azizah's famous husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy
prime minister whose sacking last year sparked off unprecedented street
protests in Kuala Lumpur and led to the formation of Parti Keadilan
Nasional which she leads.
This time around, Anwar, who is serving a six-year jail sentence for
corruption, isn't contesting but his shadow appears to be still looming
large over this constituency of 50,000 voters, and on whose crest his
wife is riding on.
Permatang Pauh can well be said to be a "battle royal" of the election
on Nov 29, and either way, pundits are predicting that it will produce
a "shocker".
Since nomination day on Nov 20, the international media has been
descending on Permatang Pauh, the Malay heartland on the mainland side
of Pulau Pinang, mainly because Dr Wan Azizah's position as the
flag-bearer of Keadilan, the party which many reckon to have been
formed mainly because of the Anwar saga.
And given the foreign media's bias for Anwar, Dr Ibrahim has also in
the process been getting some international media coverage that he was
not accustomed to.
" Even the CNN, CNBC and other international media have interviewed me.
But frankly speaking, I can do without their help as they don't report
correctly about me or Malaysia," he told Bernama who caught up with him
at his Sungai Semambu home here yesterday.
Earlier his aides had warned that it was "almost impossible" to get Dr
Ibrahim as he "is all over the place" on his campaign trail with
polling just three days away.
Dr Ibrahim, who is Anwar's childhood friend, and who cut his teeth in
politics when Anwar appointed him his political secretary in the
1980's, is putting on a gruelling campaign pace in his bid to retain
the seat, long acknowledged as his former mentor's stronghold.
" I manage to sleep for three hours a day at the most now, perhaps you
could say that I hardly sleep," said Dr Ibrahim,53, the Deputy
Transport Minister when parliament was dissolved on Nov 11 to pave the
way for the snap polls.
He makes at least 15 speeches a day, shaking hundreds of hands and
admits to fighting an uphill task. But he says his chances hinge on
what Prme Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad himself calls the
"silent majority" who are perceived to be BN's traditional supporters.
Dr Ibrahim said as a result of Anwar's ouster from Umno, the linchpin
of the ruling BN coalition, there is an obvious split among the Malays
who form 66 per cent of the electorate in Permatang Pauh.
" There is a split but what is very sad for me to see is that young
Keadilan campaign workers going about their business without respect to
the elders and this is indeed very disturbing," he said.
Asked what he meant, Dr Ibrahim said they went about booing BN
supporters and causing some tense situation.
Asked about his feelings for Anwar, he said: " Of course I sympathise
with him, I'm only human. But I have to make it clear that this
election is not about emotions. It is about choosing a strong and
stable government which only the BN can provide," said Dr Ibrahim,
quoting the words of Dr Mahathir himself.
Sympathy voters are what Dr Wan Azizah,47, is said to be wooing in her
campaign trail.
According to Dr Ibrahim, Dr Wan Azizah's style of campaign is to "hug
the children and cry" in her house-to-house campaign, without talking
about national issues like a political party fighting any election
should.
Better known to Keadilan supporters as "Kak Wan", Dr Wan Azizah wasn't
around when Bernama visited the constituency -- she was campaigning for
the party's candidates in Sabah -- to check on Dr Ibrahim's claim.
But supportes of both sides say there is no personal attack in the
campaign by the two candidates and this is understandable given their
background.
Asked by reporters n nomination day about Anwar, Dr Ibrahim said: "He's
my good friend. I suppose we will always remain friends."
He told about 400 Chinese residents at a ceramah (talk) in Sungai Lembu
on Monday night: "I'm contesting against my simoe (master's wife in
Cantonese).
Both sides are upbeat about each other's chances.
Hairuddin Othman, the Keadilan candidate for the Seberang Jaya state
seat under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, said the
support for Dr Wan Azizah was overwhelming.
" You could see very enthusiastic crowds and even volunteers from all
walks of life including among the Chinese residents to help in her
campaigning," he said.
The Chinese voters who make up about 28 per cent of the electorate, are
said to be a crucial factor in deciding who will win the seat, given
the reported split among the Malays.
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