Among the ruling parties, the by-election will test the level of acceptance among PAS members towards the party’s alliance with Umno, and whether PPBM will be received favourably as a partner.
Yesterday, PPBM said it would become part of the Muafakat Nasional alliance that binds Umno and PAS. The announcement came weeks after Umno said it would not become a formal partner of PN but would support the loose coalition to ensure it remains in power.
Among the opposition bloc, the by-election will test whether PH supporters will be willing to accept former PH chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his new creation, Parti Pejuang Tanah Air or Pejuang.
Social political scientist Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said: “The reality is Pejuang is an underdog and may lose to Barisan Nasional, but the question is how many of the 6,144 votes that went to PH in GE14 will go to Pejuang?”
He said BN is likely to win in Slim but the level of support for any of the three parties would indicate the Malay sentiment towards them.
“How far will PAS voters support Umno? That will be interesting to watch,” he said, noting that PAS garnered 4,103 votes in GE14, and a spike in PAS votes would show the grassroots supporting Muafakat Nasional.
“But if the numbers drop, then Umno and PAS have to rethink their strategy as it would mean that at the grassroots level, PAS does not accept Umno.”
Awang said that if Pejuang manages to secure more than the 6,144 votes won by PH in GE14, it would show strong voter sentiment towards PH and that “any change in the results will be an indicator in a smaller scale towards the GE (general election)”.
Azmi Hassan of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said the Slim by-election would indicate voters’ preference for either Mahathir or PPBM president Muhyiddin Yassin
“We have to look out for the 6,144 voters that voted for PH. Anyone who gets the majority from PH votes shows they have the support.”
Azmi also said that Muhyiddin’s announcement about joining MN was a way to gain a voice in Sabah as it prepares for the state election. “By becoming a part of MN, it will be easier for PPBM to negotiate for seats” and give PPBM an added advantage in Sabah.
The candidates for the by-election are Mohd Zaidi Aziz, 43, of BN; independent candidate Amir Khusyairi, 38, a Perak-born syarie lawyer who represents Pejuang; and independent candidate S Sentharasekaran, 44.