With battle lines drawn, Rohaizat’s disbarment not a big deal
PERMATANG PASIR: Voters in this semi-rural constituency in the heart of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s stronghold appear to have already made up their minds about who to vote for, and the controversy surrounding the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate has not been a major factor.
While Rohaizat Othman’s disbarment has dominated the headlines, it is the economy and party colours which are the main deciding factors in this Malay majority seat.
Malay voters here seemed unmoved by the scandal weighing on the BN candidate.
The incessant attacks from the PAS/Pakatan Rakyat (PR) campaign on Rohaizat’s tainted candidacy may, however, have won back key Chinese voters who had grown suspicious of the Islamist party.
With most voters having already made up their minds, nightly ceramah by both BN and PR have not been well attended. The intensity of campaigning being played out in the news media is not being reflected on the ground.
Malay voters here are paying more attention to their Ramadhan preparation than the ongoing verbal slugfest between PAS and Umno or as a local here put it: “syok sendiri”.
“No, it won’t affect anybody’s decision. Here, the voters have already made up their minds about who they want to vote for.
“Each (political party) have their supporters and they will vote for their respective parties,” said Roslan Abdul Rahman, a local voter here, when asked if the controversy around Rohaizat’s disbarment would influence the voting pattern.
The Umno man was disbarred last year after he was found guilty by the Bar Council’s disciplinary board for misconduct after failing to return money belonging to the Penang Rubber Smallholders Cooperative.
Umno leaders, however, insist that their man is innocent, and have argued that Rohaizat was a “victim of circumstances.
They have accused his former firm partner Yusri Ishak of being the one who ran away with the money and caused the candidate to be strucked off as a lawyer.
But Yusri had appeared this week in the constituency to deny the accusation. He said Rohaizat was the sole person responsible for not returning their client’s money.
So far, the drama of Rohaizat’s candidacy appears to have changed the perception of the Chinese public, who’s vote could be the deciding factor if Malay votes are split.
Chinese support for PAS here had fallen in recent months because of concerns over the Islamist party’s more shrill rhetoric over the Kedah pig abattoir closure and the controversy over the sale of beer in Selangor.
“Before this, many here supported PAS but they regretted doing so after the party showed its true colours and showed no respect for our way of life,” said 77 year-old Ngai Fook Yee from Sama Gagah, a Chinese dominated area here.
“Many then had wanted to vote for BN but after Rohaizat’s partner came out, many are left wondering which candidate to chose,” he added.
Even the issue of Teoh Beng Hock’s death which caused widespread anger among the Chinese nationally appeared to have had little influence here.
“Yes, we are angered by it but this issue does not affect our lives. Issues like the pig farm closure and beer ban are issues that affect us Chinese people directly,” said Ngai. Umno’s decision to use the race card and portray itself as the champion of the Malays and attack PAS for colluding with the Chinese-dominated DAP has not been a vote-getter among the Malay electorate here.
Mohd Kasim Mohd, 61 said that many Malay voters here who supported Umno and BN in the past have been profoundly disappointed by the party which claim to be championing Malay rights.
“I am from the Merdeka generation. I have seen many leaders come and go but what have they done for the people of Permatang Pasir? Nothing,” he said implying that the promises of prosperity for all Malays by Umno was to him empty populist vows.
“The Malays here are very hurt. We are not angry. If one’s angry, you can still try and sway them but the Malays here are profoundly hurt and disappointed. They have forsaken us,” said Kasim.
MI
22/08/09
PERMATANG PASIR: Voters in this semi-rural constituency in the heart of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s stronghold appear to have already made up their minds about who to vote for, and the controversy surrounding the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate has not been a major factor.
While Rohaizat Othman’s disbarment has dominated the headlines, it is the economy and party colours which are the main deciding factors in this Malay majority seat.
Malay voters here seemed unmoved by the scandal weighing on the BN candidate.
The incessant attacks from the PAS/Pakatan Rakyat (PR) campaign on Rohaizat’s tainted candidacy may, however, have won back key Chinese voters who had grown suspicious of the Islamist party.
With most voters having already made up their minds, nightly ceramah by both BN and PR have not been well attended. The intensity of campaigning being played out in the news media is not being reflected on the ground.
Malay voters here are paying more attention to their Ramadhan preparation than the ongoing verbal slugfest between PAS and Umno or as a local here put it: “syok sendiri”.
“No, it won’t affect anybody’s decision. Here, the voters have already made up their minds about who they want to vote for.
“Each (political party) have their supporters and they will vote for their respective parties,” said Roslan Abdul Rahman, a local voter here, when asked if the controversy around Rohaizat’s disbarment would influence the voting pattern.
The Umno man was disbarred last year after he was found guilty by the Bar Council’s disciplinary board for misconduct after failing to return money belonging to the Penang Rubber Smallholders Cooperative.
Umno leaders, however, insist that their man is innocent, and have argued that Rohaizat was a “victim of circumstances.
They have accused his former firm partner Yusri Ishak of being the one who ran away with the money and caused the candidate to be strucked off as a lawyer.
But Yusri had appeared this week in the constituency to deny the accusation. He said Rohaizat was the sole person responsible for not returning their client’s money.
So far, the drama of Rohaizat’s candidacy appears to have changed the perception of the Chinese public, who’s vote could be the deciding factor if Malay votes are split.
Chinese support for PAS here had fallen in recent months because of concerns over the Islamist party’s more shrill rhetoric over the Kedah pig abattoir closure and the controversy over the sale of beer in Selangor.
“Before this, many here supported PAS but they regretted doing so after the party showed its true colours and showed no respect for our way of life,” said 77 year-old Ngai Fook Yee from Sama Gagah, a Chinese dominated area here.
“Many then had wanted to vote for BN but after Rohaizat’s partner came out, many are left wondering which candidate to chose,” he added.
Even the issue of Teoh Beng Hock’s death which caused widespread anger among the Chinese nationally appeared to have had little influence here.
“Yes, we are angered by it but this issue does not affect our lives. Issues like the pig farm closure and beer ban are issues that affect us Chinese people directly,” said Ngai. Umno’s decision to use the race card and portray itself as the champion of the Malays and attack PAS for colluding with the Chinese-dominated DAP has not been a vote-getter among the Malay electorate here.
Mohd Kasim Mohd, 61 said that many Malay voters here who supported Umno and BN in the past have been profoundly disappointed by the party which claim to be championing Malay rights.
“I am from the Merdeka generation. I have seen many leaders come and go but what have they done for the people of Permatang Pasir? Nothing,” he said implying that the promises of prosperity for all Malays by Umno was to him empty populist vows.
“The Malays here are very hurt. We are not angry. If one’s angry, you can still try and sway them but the Malays here are profoundly hurt and disappointed. They have forsaken us,” said Kasim.
MI
22/08/09
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