Malaysia Matters Podcast

The fight for Malay hearts and minds is in earnest in Permatang Pasir and Penanti state constituencies, were Malay voters make up 68% of the total 58,459 voters.

As reported by the Star Online, PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim kicked off his daily campaign with a visit to Kampong Sama Gagah market where party workers gave away curry powder to market-goers. 

Later in the evening, he attended a dinner with the Chinese community in Seberang Jaya before making an appearance at his nightly ceramah perdana in Mengkuang Titi.

Leading the Barisan camp was Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who made a brief stopover at Kampong Permatang Ara, Permatang Pasir, just before midnight on Thursday to give moral support to party workers and meet villagers who came out in droves after hearing that the national leaders were in the vicinity.

He spent almost one hour mingling with the villagers and even enjoyedpulut (glutinous rice) with salted fish, showing he is still very much akampung boy at heart.

Coming into the final stretch of the by-election campaigning, both the NB and PKR election workers have increased their door knocking campaign as well as attendance at evening ceramah in an effort to touch as many voters as possible.

It is widely believed that Anwar will win a seat in parliament. The question will be whether the margin is significant enough to be declared a mandate for change in the government.