Although the campaign for Merlimau’s 10,700 voters is still two weeks away, there is already excitement as workers have begun sprucing up the constituency, cleaning up drains, collecting rubbish, repairing potholes, cutting grass and upgrading street lights.
The area is not neglected or dilapidated, but this appears to be part of the “pre-campaign” to show voters that extra effort is being made for them.
BN leaders and supporters have already descended on the constituency and are in an upbeat mood coming from their victories in the Tenang by-election on January 30 as well as earlier victories in Galas in Kelantan and Batu Sapi in Sabah.
Galas was won in PAS territory while the winning majority in Batu Sapi was sufficient to dispel doubts that the BN’s grip in Sabah, considered a vote bank by BN, has loosened.
BN supporters, like in Tenang, are stringing up flags in their homes and villages while in the town centre, MCA’s Chinese New Year flags, banners and motifs still dominate.
Anwar and other PR leaders are expected to campaign for PAS.
Ali Rustam (right) and other BN leaders have already started “pre-campaigning” ahead of Merlimau’s by-electio
BN supporters place flags outside their homes ahead of the Tenang by-election
BN has also set up numerous operation centres in shops and houses, ready to leap into action once nomination is over.
The by-election, triggered by the death of incumbent BN state assemblyman Datuk Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hasaan, is the 15th since Election 2008.
PAS, which is contesting the seat, albeit reluctantly, has yet to establish a strong presence either in the town or the outlying villages and plantations.
But all this would change on nomination day as PAS is expected to bring in about 20,000 supporters from across the country for the nomination and to thereafter to campaign — an influx that would turn Merlimau into a sea of green, the PAS colour.
“There would be more PAS supporters on nomination day than voters in Merlimau,” said Abdullah Hakim, a local PAS supporter.
“We hope to fight harder this time,” he said while shopping at the local night market. “Our allies DAP and PKR will also hit the ground come nomination.”
But there is an air of pessimism among Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters.
“This is Barisan territory… the best Pakatan can do here is to reduce the Barisan majority,” said a sundry goods wholesaler who wished to be identified only as Teh.
BN component parties like MCA, PPP, and MIC are already down on the ground engaging the people with small get together, dinners and forums to “get to know” the voters. Organisations such as Kimma have also arrived to help BN’s efforts.
“I feel like a VIP,” said S. Rajaratnam, a pensioner. “They visit us, listen to our problems and promise to resolve our grouses.”
“They are asking us not to risk our future voting for PAS,” he said. “They say a vote for BN is a vote for peace, stability and progress… I agree as I am a pensioner with three growing grand-daughters.”
Local PR leaders said the coalition is gearing for big rallies at strategic places with high voter concentration, hoping to influence voter sentiments.
“We will bring down our big guns Anwar (PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and Guan Eng (Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng). BN might be in the lead but the tide will turn against them on voting day,” said Rashid Bakar, a local PAS supporter.
“Tok Guru (PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat) and other leaders will campaign for us,” he said.
Unlike the PR “big guns,” Barisan’s Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam is already in Merlimau on a daily basis, walking, cycling or driving around to meet voters and shake hands.
The Merlimau voter profile resembles the Tenang constituency with Malays, who include farm workers, factory hands, civil servants and small businesspeople, the majority at 65 per cent of the electorate. This is followed by Chinese at 20 per cent, while Indian voters make up the remainder, giving Merlimau a mixed flavour typical of semi-urban constituencies.
As is the case with small towns from the early boom years, the area has an “old” Merlimau that is quaint and idyllic, with a pre-war feel, and a Merlimau Baru with new shop houses, residential areas, libraries, mosques and community centres.
In the 2004 wave, BN won the seat with a 5,000-vote majority. This was reduced to 2,100 in Election 2008, an outcome that is uncannily similar to Tenang and other mixed semi-rural constituencies.
In the changed political landscape now with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak enjoying steady popularity from his 1 Malaysia concept along with his political, social and economic transformation schemes, BN is once again making headway with the voters.
PR, on the other hand, has been hamstrung by the turmoil in PKR and the loss of Malay support for PAS beyond the card-carrying members, of which there are few in Merlimau.
Indian voters are also drifting back to BN, as evidenced in the Bagan Pinang and Tenang by-elections.
While PR still enjoys widespread Chinese support in Merlimau, at least half of the community are believed to be MCA supporters and expected to vote for Barisan.
As in Tenang, the question is not whether BN will retain Merlimau, but by how big a margin.
