KEPALA BATAS – Bertam boy Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican is looking forward to being named one of the winners in Saturday’s state polls.
As a local boy, the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate is optimistic about his chances of taking the state seat as he commands the support of the 18,000 voters there.
“Although I lost the parliamentary seat in the general election (last November), I actually won in Bertam,” the former minister told Scoop when met at a ceramah here recently.
The former youth and sports minister, and housing and local government minister lost in the 2022 general election by a mere 2,867 votes.
He polled 25,737 votes against eventual winner PAS Muslimat deputy chief Dr Siti Mastura Muhammad.
Bersatu’s Khaliq Mehtab Mohd Ishaq was the incumbent in Bertam until he and three others were expelled from the Penang legislative assembly following the withdrawal of their support of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) state government.
Bertam is among the four “anak angkat” (adopted children) of the PH-dominated state assembly following the exit of the four Bersatu representatives from the coalition.
The assembly had voted to remove them, the others being Dr Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya), Zulkifli Ibrahim (Sungai Acheh), and Zolkifly Md Lazim (Teluk Bahang).
Representing the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, Khaliq is Reezal’s sole challenger.
With the Malay swing towards PN in the 2022 general election, should Reezal not worry about losing his home base? After all, 65% of the electorate are Malays.
“The Malay voters know me well. They know my late parents. I have an advantage. They said it’s okay if you lose Parliament, we support you here.
“I grew up with them, so I hope they will take this feeling of familiarity and fondness to the ballot box.”
The numbers seem to favour Reezal as Khaliq only won by 217 votes in 2018 when the latter was up against BN and PAS.
Reezal said his approach towards campaigning is different this time and with PH and BN going in as partners, he has the 22% Chinese votes in the bag.
At the ceramah at a Chinese new village here, none other than Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying of DAP campaigned for him.
Reezal said this gives him the opportunity of having a more hands-on approach in campaigning.
“As it is a smaller group of constituents, I can give more attention to them and accord them the personal touch. Bertam is a close community, and I can give them a sense of conviction (to choose me)” he said referring to the size of the constituency at only 24 sq km.
“It is more effective to meet small groups and give them a real understanding as to why I should be chosen,” he said of the conservative community of largely traders, farmers, plantation workers and shopkeepers.
With its location only 2km from Kepala Batas, Bertam boasts a major hospital, the Fire and Rescue Department’s northern region airbase, a Mara junior college and University Sains Malaysia Medical Centre.
If he wins, Reezal could be considered for a state executive councillor’s post, marking BN’s return to the state administration since 2008. – August 9, 2023