Kajang state seat by-election is a battle of sympathy versus ideology.
A battle of two women – one a president of a party – Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) - set up on the basis of purported victimised and the other a former vice-president of a Chinese-based party MCA under the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition that believes in power sharing that benefit all Malaysians.
PKR’s Wan Azizah Ismail is standing in for her husband Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who was found guilty on a sodomy conviction and sentenced to five years in prison.
Datuk Paduka Chiew Mei Fun is fielded when the Kajang state seat was vacated, planned by Anwar to enable him to be the Selangor Mentri Besar, which was on the pretext of solving the feud between current Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and party deputy president Azmin Ali.
The voters, educated urban dwellers numbering 38,965, comprising 48 percent Malays, 41 percent Chinese and 10 percent Indians will decide on polling day fixed for March 23rd.
At stake is PKR’s pride as the seat was held by the party the last two terms while for BN, it is a yardstick to gauge its support from Chinese voters who had practically ‘abandoned’ the ruling coalition in last year’s general election.
However, the by-election is in reality for the MCA to gauge its influence that has taken a big dive when racial issues were played up by its nemesis DAP sin.
Wan Azizah is said to be the saving grace for Anwar as her candidacy has changed the minds of the voters where talks had it earlier that Anwar would not get the numbers he expected as voters had doubted his sincerity in wanting to help Selangorians but his personal ambition.
Wan Azizah is banking on sympathy as her main theme – a loyal wife subsevient to her husband allegedly victimised by the ruling part – which many observers said would sell ‘like hot cakes’ given her past sacrifices for Anwar.
Will Chiew's development theme be buried by sentiments of sympathy lauded by her opponents?
Will Azizah's crocodile tears campaign hit the votes in Kajang?
All will be answered on 23rd March as the campaign is getting more and more interesting.
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