We are launching this SuperSunday18 walkabouts by DAP Members of Parliament, State Assembly members and leaders from all over the country even from Sabah (we have MP for Kota Kinabalu Hiew King Cheu and DAP Kadazan leaders with us) in 18 Chinese new villages, Malay kampongs and Indian settlements in the Hulu Selangor constituency in the only available Sunday in this eight-day by-election.
Hulu Selangor by-election is no sure winner for the Pakatan Rakyat and our candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
In the March 2008 general election, PKR candidate Datuk Zainal Abidin defeated Barisan Nasional candidate G. Palanivel with a slim majority of 198 votes.
However, in the three constituent state assembly seats, all won by BN, the three majorities secured by BN totalled 6,176 votes, comprising 3,548 majority in Hulu Bernam (contested by PAS), 2,179 majority in Batang Kali (contested by PKR) and 448 majority (contested by DAP).
What is the reason for the reversal of the total BN majorities of 6,167 votes from the three constituent state assembly seats into a 198-vote majority for the PKR?
Was it because 6,167 votes for BN at the state assembly level turned around to vote for PKR at the parliamentary level?
Clearly not, as the parliamentary vote for PKR (23,388) is only 54 votes more than the total votes polled by the PR candidates in the three state assembly seats (23,334).
Could this be explained by the spoilt votes, as there was a big chunk of 1,466 spoilt votes for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat.
The answer is again no, as the total number of spoilt votes for the three state assembly seats were quite sizable, accounting for 1,271 votes.
Palanivel secured 23,190 votes for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat, which is 6,320 votes less than the total of 29,510 votes cast for the three BN state assembly seats.
Clearly over 6,200 voters in the last general election who voted for the Barisan Nasional at the State Assembly level did not vote for Palanivel. What is significant is that these more than 6,200 votes also did not vote for Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin.
Where did these more than 6,200 votes disappear to? There should be an inquiry as to where these over 6,200 votes went to, as every voter is issued a parliamentary and a state assembly ballot at the polling station – and the total for parliamentary and state assembly votes issued should tally for the same constituency.
For our purpose however, it should be a salutary reminder that over 6,200 voters in the last general election who refused to repeat their vote for the BN at the parliamentary level as they had voted at the State Assembly elections also did not vote for PKR candidate, and if 2,000 or 3,000 of these voters come out to vote for BN on April 25, BN candidate would win.
All PKR, PAS and DAP leaders and campaigners should realise therefore that Hulu Selangor by-election is not a sure winner.
I still believe that Datuk Zaid can be elected the new MP for Hulu Selangor but very hard work is called for, as every vote counts.
Things have changed in the past two years – the sterling performance of the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor State Government and the hopes for far-reaching changes in the 13th General Elections following the March 8 political tsunami of the 2008 general elections.
However, we cannot be complacent. In fact, we should all be under a sense of great test and crisis.
This is why DAP has launched this SuperSunday18 – and the message is Pakatan Rakyat must get every Malay, Chinese, Indian and Orang Asli voter to vote for Zaid and national change in the country if Zaid is to win and become the new MP for Hulu Selangor.
[Speech (2) at launching the DAP SuperSunday 18 walkabouts by DAP MPs, State Assembly members and leaders in 18 Chinese new villages, Malay kampongs and Indian settlements in Hulu Selangor constituency at the DAP Kuala Kubu Baru by-election centre on Sunday, 18th April 2010 at 9 am]
Errata : Please refer to a new statement issued on 20th April 2010