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By Zubaidah Abu Bakar (NST) PERMATANG Pasir was a test for Umno of whether it has really regained Malay ground as it seemed to have in Manik Urai.
For very obvious reasons, it seems that this remains a perception. How much longer will be so remains very much in the party's hands. Permatang Pasir seems to have been a wasted opportunity for Umno to have sustained the momentum from Manik Urai. The party's vetting process of candidates is flawed, allowing its candidate to be attacked by the Opposition from day one. Umno could have fielded a more credible candidate to represent Barisan Nasional and keep the momentum alive in yesterday's by-election. Instead, it decided to allow disbarred lawyer Rohaizat Othman to contest as the Barisan Nasional candidate against Pas' Mohd Salleh Man, despite the issue of his disbarment having been raised the day he was named the BN candidate. There was ample time to get a replacement before nomination a few days later to avoid giving ammunition to the opposition. So bad was the attack on Rohaizat by Pas and its allies in Pakatan Rakyat that the BN machinery had to switch to damage control mode almost as soon as the Election Commission announced the candidates on nomination day. Details of his disbarment -- misconduct involving a client's funds amounting to RM161,000 -- were revealed. The attacks on him were unstoppable. Even his private life was not spared. Umno leaders had a tough time convincing voters of the suitability of its BN candidate, trying to prove his trustworthiness until the eleventh hour, instead of addressing pertinent issues affecting the voters. Still, the win for Pas was widely expected as the state seat is within Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Permatang Pauh parliamentary stronghold. But Umno, with the might of the Barisan Nasional machinery, could have put up a strong fight, slashing into the margin of victory. With the majority lowered by only about 900 votes since the last general election which saw Pas winning by 5,433 votes, there is nothing much Umno could shout about. There is no moral victory here. Whatever achievement was made in Manik Urai can no longer be a barometer to show that Umno and BN is on a rebound. Chinese votes also remained strong for Pakatan Rakyat in Permatang Pasir, contrary to claims by the MCA and Gerakan throughout the campaigning period. In Kampung Cross Street where nearly 80 per cent voters are Chinese, BN only managed 300 votes to Pas' 942 votes. In Permatang Pauh polling area, only 354 votes went to BN compared to 875 that Pas had obtained while in Sama Gagah, Pas secured 1,397 votes to BN's 594 votes. Permatang Pasir should be a lesson to be learnt. The candidate's background became a huge liability that the situation has been likened by many to "serving the seat on a platter" to Pas. Even a candidate suffering from perception problem is enough to suffer rejection of voters in by-elections, what more one who is tainted and lacking in credibility. Umno has just got to learn from past mistakes and re-look its screening process.
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