Sleepless in Batu Sapi, sleepy in Galas

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - Free Malaysia Today

ANALYSIS GUA MUSANG: There is a disconnect between media reports and the ground reality in the contest for the Galas state seat. The media frenzy is disproportionate to what stakeholders themselves describe as a tepid contest.

If the streets of this sleepy town were not extensively decorated with party flags, the usual they-are-bad-we-are-good banners and the heavy police presence, you would rather drive pass it and head straight across the state border to touristy Cameron Highlands.

The campaigning is a tame and dull affair characterised by a cagey and rather sleepy performance by the two contesting parties, Umno and PAS.

The lack of vigour in the bout can be attributed to three factors: the absence of bigwig politicos from both sides of the divide, the inconsequential nature of the by-election itself and the involvement of Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, whom PAS is reluctant to attack because he supports Kelantan’s claim to oil royalties, which the BN government rejects.

But there may be a simpler explanation: a concurrent by-election in Batu Sapi, Sabah. There is more at stake in that contest for a parliamentary seat, which became vacant with the death of BN’s Edmund Chong.

Although many of  its top guns were present at the beginning of the Galas campaign, Pakatan Rakyat is now more focused on ensuring a victory for its Batu Sapi candidate.

A victory for PKR's Ansari Abdullah means a continuation of the opposition's winning momentum following its historic victory in Sibu, Sarawak. It will also signify a shift in voting trend in the two East Malaysian states. Conquering the two states, which the ruling coalition regards as its vote bank, is key to the opposition bloc's Putrajaya ambition.

Ansari faces Chong's widow, Linda Tsen Thau Lin of Parti Bersatu Sabah, and Yong Teck Lee, a former chief minister and current president of the Sabah Progressive Party.

Pundits believe PKR has no grassroots influence in Sabah to ensure it a victory.

The appointment of  Razaleigh as BN's ad hoc election director in Galas was already a hint to a tame campaign, given the position he has taken in the oil royalty issue.

Oil a major factor
PAS leaders have been treading the campaign trail gingerly, careful not to jeopardise its crusade for oil money by alienating the influential prince, affectionately known as Ku Li. He has been subject to only minimal criticism in ceramah events throughout the constituency.

And while BN have been zealously exploiting this, PAS remains convinced that most of the more than 11,000 Galas voters would not be swayed by the escalating attacks on its party and candidate, local medical practitioner Dr Zulkefli Mohamad.

Dr Zulkelfi faces Abdul Aziz Yusoff, secretary of Umno’s Gua Musang division and a loyal Razaleigh follower.

Ku Li himself has pointed out that the outcome of the vote would be inconsequential to the power structure in Kelantan.

This was readily admitted by PAS' top echelons although their Umno counterparts understandably differ, given that their party has failed to pick itself up since it was forced to surrender the state to the nationalist-turned-Islamist party 20 years ago.

Prior to the death of Galas assemblyman Che Hashim Sulaiman, PAS controlled 38 of 45 state assembly seats while BN held only five.

Nevertheless, PAS election director Abdul Halim Abdul Rahman has hinted at a possible last minute all out assault in light of the latest fuel price hike. RON97 petrol went up 5sen a litre last night.

Pakatan bigwigs will speak at a major ceramah event tonight and will probably use the fuel price hike to its advantage and give, at last, some real glitz and buzz to the by-election.