KANGAR: It is not impossible that non-Malay voters, especially the Indian community, in Kuala Kubu Baharu will vote for Perikatan Nasional in Saturday's by-election.
Pas spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin claimed that there was a possible swing among Indian voter following what he said was the failure of the Pakatan Harapan-led unity government in looking after the community in the constituency.
He said this was also made possible following former senior DAP leader Dr P. Ramasamy's call for Indian voters in the constituency to boycott the by-election due to the unity government's alleged failure to fulfil its promises.
"I foresee that it is not impossible for Indian voters in KKB to declare their support for PN because Bersatu is with Pas in PN.
"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has made many promises on his reform agenda but lately, it is obvious that they (the Indian community) are frustrated.
"It seems they no longer have confidence in the changes that they had hoped for," he told reporters at his office in the state Pas Complex here today.
Hashim added that history has shown that there are non-Muslims who are supportive of the Islamic cause, especially its core values such as honesty, justice and stability.
He added that the presence of the Pas Supporters Wing comprised of non-Malay members was another factor that would help to gain the support of non-Muslim voters for the PN candidate.
Meanwhile, Hashim explained that the warning that it is haram for Pas supporters to fail to vote for the PN candidate was not a fatwa .
He said it was more of a motivation for the party members to cast their vote in the by-election.
"It is a motivation for the party members in evaluating both candidates from Pakatan Harapan or PN.
"However, in Islam we are thought to make a decision between candidates from Bersatu and DAP, which one is less harmless," he said.
He was responding to Pas secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan's remarks during a rally in Kuala Kubu Baharu on Monday that it was haram for the party members to not cast their votes to ensure victory for PN candidate Khairul Azhari Saut.
The by-election will see a four-cornered fight involving Khairul Azhari, Pakatan Harapan's Pang Sock Tao, Parti Rakyat Malaysia's Hafizah Zainuddin, and independent candidate Nyau Ke Xin.
The by-election was triggered by the passing of its three-term assemblyman from DAP, Lee Kee Hiong, after a battle with cancer.
In the Selangor state election last year, Lee helped DAP, a component party of PH, to retain Kuala Kubu Baharu after she polled a majority of 4,119 votes in a four-cornered fight for the state seat.
Kuala Kubu Baharu is a mixed seat, with Malays comprising 50 per cent of the electorate, followed by Chinese (30 per cent) and Indians (18 per cent).