Sungai Besar polls: Low voter turnout could determine outcome, says DAP

SUNGAI BESAR: DAP has expressed concern over the possibility of low voter turnout affecting the results of the Sungai Besar by-election.

The party’s national publicity secretary Tony Pua (pic) said the challenge for the Opposition now is to ensure sufficient turnout, as outstation voters returning would be able to determine the results.

“We are within striking reach but it is all dependent on the voters outside who come back and vote.

“Whether we will achieve our goal and make a surprise during this by-election, depends on how many of them are coming back,” he told a press conference here on Tuesday.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP added that the Pakatan Harapan machinery has been going down to the ground to convince more voters to return.

Pua said other than reaching voters through their families living in Sungai Besar, the Opposition has also taken measures like hiring a bus to transport voters, particularly from Singapore.

DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang echoed the same sentiment, saying Pakatan’s biggest concern was the lack of constituents staying and working elsewhere returning to vote.

“The biggest worry now is voter turnout. It was 88% during the last elections but that was the general election.

“It is not so easy to have such a voter turnout especially since it is a by-election,” he said.

The Gelang Patah MP added that it would be a “miracle” if the majority of voters return home and vote for Amanah.

“It is not easy as we are going against Umno which is 70 years old, PAS 66 years old and Amanah is just six months old.

“We are hoping for a miracle to take place. It is not easy but it is also not impossible,” he said.

The Sungai Besar parliamentary constituency has 42,836 voters comprising 22,227 Malays, 13,142 Chinese, 820 Indians with 98 from other races.

The semi-rural seat constituents are mostly plantation workers, farmers and fishermen.

The by-election in Selangor will see a three-way fight between Barisan Nasional’s Budiman Mohd Zohdi, PAS’ Dr Abdul Rani Osman and Amanah’s Azhar Abdul Shukur.