Amirudin’s presence in Sungai Tua undeniable, but young voters still drawn to Perikatan

GOMBAK, Aug 11 — On the night of November 19 last year, Perikatan Nasional (PN) supporters cheered to news of Pakatan Harapan's (PH) Nurul Izzah Anwar losing to PAS' Muhammad Fawwaz Wan Jan, ending a four-decade hold on Permatang Pauh by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's family.

Now, some voters in Sungai Tua feel a similar upset could be brewing in the state constituency here, where the incumbent is caretaker Selangor menteri besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari.

The Sungai Tua seat will see a three-way contest in the state election tomorrow, with Amirudin going up against PN’s Hanif Jamaluddin and independent candidate Suman Gopal.

"The magnitude of Amirudin's loss here would be the same as what happened to Nurul Izzah in Permatang Pauh in the last general election," a PN supporter who declined to be named told Malay Mail when met during Hanif's walkabout at Kampung Bahtera night market.

Hanif, who is also PAS Youth secretary-general, is a debutant and will have to shoulder a colossal responsibility going against Amirudin, who has represented the seat since 2008 when it was still called Batu Caves.

Even after serving as the state constituency's representative for three terms, Amirudin remains vigilant as a significant portion of Malay voters in Sungai Tua is captivated by the allure of PN's message and its magnetic influence over youths, especially on social media.

In Kampung Melayu Selatan Batu Caves, Jamaluddin Abd Aziz, 63, shared his admiration of Amirudin's service, recognising the transformative impact the PKR leader has had on their close-knit community.

With his regard for Amirudin, however, Jamaluddin said he was in a dilemma, confiding that all four of his children have passionately pledged their allegiance to Amirudin's rival instead.

"For those of us who actually live here in this kampung, we always see him (Amirudin) around here and he has been very attentive towards the issues in this kampung.

"However, all four of my kids have told me that they are supporting PN this time around and they also supported PN in the last general election," said Jamaluddin, who is a retired electrical technician and taxi driver.

He said his children, who no longer reside with him, were seemingly entranced by the message delivered in the video snippets they devour on their smartphones.

While saying his children could have been influenced by peers, Jamaluddin expressed concern that they more likely have been convinced by what they saw of the campaign on social media.

On a stroll through the village, Malay Mail encountered enthusiastic members of the PH Sungai Tua machinery, led by Amirudin's wife, Datin Masdiana Muhamad, on their way to visit the former village chief affectionately called "Pak Khalid."

Pak Khalid, the village chief who retired in 2013, is a loyal PAS member and has transformed his cherished home into a bustling PN election war room for Sungai Tua.

In a heartwarming tale of friendship, Pak Khalid and Amirudin's bond remains unshaken, even with their political differences spanning decades.

This connection is the reason why Masdiana felt at ease visiting the rival headquarters in the heat of an election campaign.

Among those gathered was the current village chief, the cheerful 60-year-old Kamaruzaman Morad, who led the PH machinery in greeting the residents of the kampung.

Notably warm in his demeanour, Kamaruzaman was always smiling as he effortlessly conversed in Tamil with an ethnic Indian campaigner, before playfully bantering with the ethnic Chinese members in Mandarin.

The charismatic and multilingual community leader graciously shared his insights about voter sentiment in Sungai Tua, with a particular focus on his kampung.

When asked about Jamaluddin's concern, Kamaruzaman concurred that the majority of his village's residents deeply value Amirudin's contributions since he was first elected as the area's assemblyman in 2008.

"In my kampung, I feel that Amirudin can probably retain his dominance although they might face some problems with the youth but I think this kampung is not a head-scratcher," he said.

However, he said Amirudin might face some challenges to win the hearts of polling districts that were heavily Malay.

"In my opinion, it's probably Kampung Nakhoda and Wira Damai," he added.

The constituency contains the polling districts of Wira Damai, Taman Jasa, Sungai Tua, Kampung Nakhoda, Kampung Laksamana, Selayang Baharu Empat, Selayang Baharu Lima, Taman Selayang, Taman Batu Caves, Pekan Batu Caves Lama, Batu Caves, Batu 8 Sungai Tua.

Meanwhile, Masdiana said her husband's popularity with constituents of Sungai Tua has been instrumental in ensuring a seamless and successful campaign for the PH side.

"I met a lot of the constituents here and one of the positive feedback that we received is that the MB is always on the ground and they did not raise any grouses but were rather grateful and want the current government to maintain," she said.

With her husband's busy schedule, filled with state programmes and aiding other candidates in Selangor, Masdiana has taken charge, venturing into the heart of Sungai Tua to ensure no neutral vote went uncanvassed.

Wak Din, a 61-year-old retiree, did not hold back in praising Amirudin's influential presence in their shared community.

Recalling cherished memories, Wak Din recounted instances when Amirudin would join the local mosque congregation without an entourage, seamlessly blending in with the constituents, and genuinely taking the time to engage in heartfelt conversations, showing genuine interest in their daily lives.

"Sometimes we see him in a baju melayu and kain pelikat without any of his security around him and we ourselves had the chance to talk to him just like another neighbour who happens to be a menteri besar," he said.

In Kampung Bahtera night market, Malay Mail crossed paths with PN candidate Hanif and his team distributing flyers and introducing themselves to the constituents.

Though acknowledging Amirudin's three-term incumbency, Hanif remains undeterred, firmly believing that he can put up a formidable fight. In his perspective, it is not his seat to win, but rather Amirudin's seat to lose.

With a passionate conviction, Hanif envisions that with substantial support from the constituents of Sungai Tua, particularly the dynamic youth, he may just have a chance at securing the seat.

"I will do my best to try and at least win even by a small margin, and that would be very meaningful to me," he said.

The Election Commission has set tomorrow as the polling day for the state elections in Selangor, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan as well as the Kuala Terengganu by-election.