Arsumu versus Anwar Ibrahim

Pakatan Harapan chairperson Anwar Ibrahim (above, right) has picked this seat as his launchpad to propel him into the prime minister’s office if the coalition wins the general election.

Standing in his path are three opponents, including incumbent Ahmad Faizal Azumu of Perikatan Nasional (PN). The other two, who have been relegated to the sidelines, are BN’s Aminuddin Hanafiah and Gerakan Tanah Air’s Abdul Rahim Tahir.

Some have likened Faizal (above, left), once part of Harapan himself, to the perceived underdog David, in the biblical battle against the giant Goliath.  However, Malaysiakini’s observation found that the people of Tambun might be rooting for the giant instead of the local hero.

MB - chink in Peja’s armour

Some believe that “Tambun boy” Peja (Faizal’s nickname among locals) has the upper hand because he was a former menteri besar of Perak. However, this might be a "sword of Damocles".

Sentiment on the ground indicates that the Perak PN chief only has a slim chance of being re-elected. Other than his stint as menteri besar lasting a mere 28 months before being shown the exit, nothing much is known about Faizal’s contributions or strategies for Perak.

Voters, when met, complained about the lack of development in semi-rural areas, particularly Manjoi. There are also farmers embroiled in a longstanding land issue in the state and are hoping Anwar would be able to resolve it.

Anwar and his allies have leveraged Faizal’s gaps in servicing the locals based on his short track record as menteri besar and the voters have embraced this narrative. Responses gathered from farmers in Kanthan revealed a similar sentiment – Anwar must emerge victorious in Tambun - with some claiming he has almost 90 percent of their votes.

Proarte : The mood in Tambun is upbeat and the people there are very politically aware. There are issues which PSM highlighted which recently put Tambun on the national map. The farmers are facing eviction despite toiling on the land for over 60 years.

They have made Tambun famous with their Pomelos and they are a major vegetable supplier. The local government is perceived as corrupt and have literally sold them out and there is an ongoing legal tussle. Given concerns about food security, it is a no brainer that the Tambun farmers should he left alone to get on with their time honoured labour.

They are very much rooting for Anwar because they believe there problems can be resolved easily by having a Tambun PM. On a different note, DAP need not be defensive about being DAP. Ask their detractors which Malay leader went to jail defending the honour of a Malay girl who was raped, this answer is no one, but Lim Guan Eng did!

So Malays have no reason to believe the increasingly bizarre claims about the DAP - that it is communist, that is controls PKR and Amanah etc. Claims can be made but there must be proof and there is none with regard to the above. DAP must not fall into the trap of letting their enemies set the agenda.

The "Cinakwai and Chauvinist'' stereotypes is increasingly being countered by having more Malays being being candidates in the elections, giving national visibility to DAP's multi-racial political philosophy. Speaking in Chinese in Ceramahs comprising a multi-racial crowd is unnecessary in 2022 when nobody has an excuse not to be conversant in the national language.

It is faux pas such as these which reinforces stereotypes. DAP can easily speak in Malay and English in multi-racial crowds because it includes everyone. Speaking in Chinese is exclusivist and frankly rude. The is no problem speaking in Chinese to a Chinese crowd. These are small adjustments in behaviour which go a long way to giving the DAP a multi-racial and friendly image.

Chinese tend to have a bad habit of speaking in Chinese in a social setting even when there are non-Chinese present, for instance at a dinner table. Naturally the Malays or Indians feel excluded but there seems to be a devil may care attitude on the part of the Chinese.

It is this lack of social awareness or concern which the DAP need to brush up on. If it is done deliberately to show off their "Chineseness" to please their support base then that is foolhardy because it is a party with has national representation.

With regard to Anwar's majority which is a given because he is a political giant, I feel he would have a thumping victory with a majority of between 15 000 - 20 000. SELAMAT MAJUJAYA ANWAR!

Kilimanjaro : Anwar Ibrahim, Muyhiddin, Ismail Sabri, Zahid Hamidi, Hadi - who among them has the capability of healing a fractured nation and take it foward to a brighter future.

The only person who has this unique quality and capability is ANWAR IBRAHIM. The others are divisive and pathetically incapable of lifting the nation to a world-class standard. I am sticking to my figure - 118 seats for PH plus.