The majority of Malay voters in the area are still loyal to the jailed opposition leader and his family, which has helped PKR retain the seat.
“So many politicians have come here over the years. Dah tepu dah (we are used to it). They come and go but we want our hometown boy Anwar Ibrahim and his party to stay,” said Siti, a 55-year-old voter in Kubang Semang.
She said many still appreciated what Anwar had done to turn the rural area into what it is today.
“We have factories, jobs, roads since Anwar became MP. We remain indebted to him. And we will vote for his daughter Nurul the same way we have voted for Kak Wan,” she said, referring to Anwar’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Nurul Izzah Anwar will face Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS in a three-cornered fight while Wan Azizah will contest the Pandan parliamentary seat in Selangor.
While most voters met by FMT indicated their support for PKR, others appeared won over by BN.
BN’s candidates have lost to PKR in the seat since 1999, but Permatang Pauh Umno chief Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said seems to be the strongest challenger so far.
Zaidi, a former teacher turned businessman, has been working the ground as early as 2008 and is now a household name among the people in Permatang Pauh.
He has built his own brand called “Team Zaidi” since the 2015 by-election to endear himself to the voters.
Team Zaidi-branded T-shirts, caps, watches, mugs and other souvenirs have been handed out to people in Permatang Pauh. The target is for at least three out of every 10 people to be seen wearing or using them.
Zaidi has also reached out to the Malays in hardcore PKR areas by giving generous portions of nasi kandar with fried chicken to mosques after Friday prayers.
And it seems his tactics have worked with some voters.
“I am tired of PKR. They come and go. Every other time Anwar is in jail. At least Cikgu Zaidi is from here, he knows our problems and is always willing to hear us out,” a 32-year-old factory worker said.
The wildcard is, of course, PAS, which has often claimed that its well-oiled election machinery from the Pakatan Rakyat days was what made PKR a winner.
PAS performed badly in the last general election, winning only Permatang Pasir, a state seat within Permatang Pauh.
But the party is pinning its hopes on state youth chief Hafnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden to win Permatang Pauh. It has been campaigning on PAS’ “clean agenda”, saying both Pakatan Harapan (PH) and BN are saddled with issues, unlike the Islamist party.
PAS had a short stint in Permatang Pauh when it won the seat in the 1978 general election through Zabidi Ali with a majority of 860 votes. Zabidi lost to Anwar in the following 1982 general election.
Anwar has held the seat since then.
The Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat has 74,171 eligible voters. The largest state seat is Seberang Jaya with 31,253 voters. Permatang Pasir comes in second with 23,583 voters and Penanti is the smallest with 19,335 voters.
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