MELAKA – PAS’ candidate Muhammad Al Afiz Yahya, who is going up against Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Adly Zahari in the Bukit Katil constituency, is confident he is able to cause an upset and pull support in his favour.
Al Afiz said that an on-the-ground survey during the second week of campaigning showed that almost 60% of constituents are in favour of Perikatan Nasional, the banner under which PAS is contesting.
This is despite Adly being PH’s pick as chief minister in the ongoing election, and also having helmed the state for 22 months following the 2018 general election.
“I’m not going to hide it, I admit it is a big challenge. In the first week, when I did my assessment, my chances of winning were 50-50,” he told a press conference today.
“However, there has been some good news since we conducted our latest survey. In the second week, we got close to 60% support, including from the Chinese.
“This is because we are promising them a young candidate who will offer his best service, which will be with integrity and honesty.”
Adly won the Bukit Katil seat in the last general election with a majority of 3,159, and was named PH’s chief minister after the coalition took control of the state.
Last week, PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that Adly will again be given the party’s mandate to lead the state if PH wins the November 20 polls.
Al Afiz, who is Melaka PAS Youth chief, admitted that it will not be easy going up against Adly, but said the people’s supposed rejection of DAP – a component party of PH – could increase his chances of winning.
He accused DAP of pulling the strings in the state administration during PH’s time in power, saying that other parties within the coalition were only serving as puppets in Melaka.
Al Afiz added that having previously been in the same Pakatan Rakyat pact with DAP, PAS is accustomed to DAP’s way of doing things, including prioritising itself over cooperation among component members.
“Many of my friends in the Melaka PH government had previously admitted that whatever decisions were made were not made by Adly, proving that non-DAP parties have no control of the state. They had to seek blessings from DAP.” – The Vibes, November 17, 2021
