PAS SEES CHINESE VOTES FLYING AWAY IF THE VOTERS CANNOT GET A DAY OFF

While Barisan Nasional (BN) continues to woo the Malays who had voted for PAS in the May 5 general election to change their mindset and hijrah or move to BN, PAS is struggling to sustain its dwindling influence among the Chinese voters.

Although the number of registered Chinese voters are only 1,842, PAS would not have sufficient numbers to retain the Sungai Limau state seat if half of that jump to BN or absent on the voting day.

The ‘territorial war’ between BN and PAS for Sungai Limau state seat heightens on the sixth day of campaign with both sides of the political divide intensifying their attacks and stepping up their defences.

In the poster war in Kampung Sedaka, PAS increases its presence by putting up more flags and banners, pulling out or pulling down BN’s flags and banners, replacing the sites with theirs.

And in the ‘war’ to win over the minds and hearts of the 27,222 voters, PAS is struggling to keep its voters ‘loyalty’ as it is losing the young voters as evident in its ceramahs and activities where these voters were not visible except few who are below voting age looking at their physique.

And PAS is struggling to keep its Chinese voters who were with them in the May 5 general election, despite its numbers is small.

Loh Choon Hong, 36, a shopkeeper at Sungai Limau Dalam town said he would not expect the Chinese voters to be 100 percent with the Islamic party this time around.

“From my view point mixing around here, the old Chinese voters seem to be inclined to vote for BN while only the young Chinese voters are still with PAS.

“This is because the young voters are exposed to internets where their minds are more on the national level rather than the local bread and butter issues.

“For me and other business people here, we just want peace and harmony where we can do our business and earn a living,” he said, while serving his clients ta his sundry shop.

The bulk of Chinese voters are in the town of Sungai Limau and Sungai Limau Dalam while the young Chinese voters work in towns in Gurun, Sungai Petani and Kulim.

DAP assemblyman for Kota Darul Aman, K. B. Loh, who campaigns for PAS in Sungai Limau town said the challenge now was to ensure the young Chinese voters take time off from their work to vote.

“Their number is quite substantial and if they cannot come back from their places in Gurun, Kulim and Sungai Petani, PAS majority may not be big.

“So it is our challenge to make sure they come back and the problem is transportation if they are given time off to vote.

“Many go to work by factory buses and these buses won’t be around to pick them up, send them to their polling stations and send them back to work.

“So we have to find ways to make it easier for them,” he said.

Monday is voting day and it is a working day and PAS finds it difficult in trying to get the maximum support from the Chinese as they are away at work.

Facing a decline in support from the young Malay voters and now, the Chinese voters, the party may see the Sungai Limau state seat slipping from its hold on Monday.

Issues are not much in existence for the Chinese voters in Sungai Limau which make it more difficult for PAS to sustain the support from the community.

The scenario is no longer BN struggling to win over voters but its PAS struggling hard, very hard to keep the seat from slipping away, considering the situation the Islamic party is in at present.