KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari will play a pivotal role in ensuring the government's success in the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election, says a political analyst.
Dr Azmi Hassan said Amirudin's endorsement of DAP candidate Pang Sock Tao would be instrumental in securing victory in this by-election for Pakatan Harapan.
He said the menteri besar's presence is crucial, given the challenge of fragmented votes, as his support could help unite and mobilise the electorate behind PH's candidate.
Previously, Pang expressed confidence in winning the state seat despite not being a local, saying she has received tremendous support from the Malay community in Kuala Kubu Baharu on the campaign trail.
Amirudin, in a report by the Selangor Journal, also shared his optimism about the support from Malay voters for Pang.
He highlighted the encouraging feedback received from the Malays since the start of the campaign period for the by-election and maintained his confidence that the positive momentum will continue to grow as the polling day on May 11 approaches.
Leveraging Amirudin's leadership to strengthen support among voters carries weight not only with non-Malay voters but also among Malays, said Azmi.
He noted that PH has been realistic in its approaches by focusing on getting a high voter turnout among the non-Malays and anything else would be a "bonus".
"DAP (within PH) has exuded confidence in securing the majority of non-Malay votes, particularly from the Chinese electorate, alongside a substantial portion, though not necessarily all, of the Indian vote," he said.
"We expect PH to maintain the seat with a smaller margin, but Amiruddin will be the linchpin of their campaign efforts.
"To the general Selangor populace, they see that whatever happens, the state will still be led by Amirudin," he added.
