SHAH ALAM - Both candidates from Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) have the potential to win the Sungai Bakap state by-election on July 6.
Universiti Malaya (UM) Department of Political Science, Public Administration and Development Studies senior lecturer Dr Mohammad Tawfik Yaakub said the political history of the area showed that the seat was open, having been won by various political parties.
"This area falls under the Nibong Tebal Parliament and there are three different parties governing three state constituencies in one parliamentary area, indicating that it has a different political dynamic compared to other places.
"The Sungai Bakap state legislative assembly is an open seat and if we look from the beginning, no political party has ever won with a majority of more than 2,500 votes. In its political history, we see that Barisan Nasional (BN), Umno, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and Pas have all won this seat.
"So, to say that this is a Pas or PH stronghold is inaccurate. This is a ‘wake-up call’ for both parties to work harder," he said.
He said this during the 445th series of the Wacana programme entitled "Sungai Bakap: Buku Bertemu Ruas" aired live on all Sinar Harian digital platforms on Tuesday.
The programme, hosted Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Centre of Media and Information Warfare Psychology Operations Fellow Dr Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin also featured Penang Bersatu Armada information chief Harris Idaham Rashid and Penang PKR deputy chairman Fahmi Zainol.
Elaborating further, Tawfik said the main challenge for both party coalitions was to bring out and convince Malay voters.
"I do not dismiss the factors of the candidates' educational backgrounds and their relationships with the community as contributors to victory; both have strengths.
"But the main question is how to get the Malay voters to turn out. The most important thing for PH is to counter all the attacks brought forward by PN involving current issues, while PN needs to counter the issue of qualifications.
"In my view, both coalitions need to focus on larger local issues to bring back fierce competition, such as developing the area and generating income for the local community, rather than just talking about qualifications," he said.