Effective campaign crucial for PH to retain Ampangan seat in Negeri Sembilan election
SEREMBAN: Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Ampangan state constituency, Datuk Muhammad Nazri Kassim, believes a well-organised and effective campaign will be critical in helping the coalition defend the seat in the upcoming Negeri Sembilan State Election (PRN).
Muhammad Nazri said he is not taking the challenge lightly despite PH having held the constituency for two consecutive terms since 2018.
He said the campaign machinery must be strengthened and carried out strategically to build stronger support ahead of polling day on August 1.
“Currently, the chances of PH winning the Ampangan state seat are 50-50, even though PH has held this constituency for two terms since 2018.
“We need to ensure that our election campaign reaches every part of the constituency and is carried out extensively,” he said when met at the Wisma Majlis Bandaraya Seremban Nomination Centre.
The Ampangan seat has been closely contested in recent elections, with PH retaining the constituency in the 2023 state election through candidate Tengku Zamrah Tengku Sulaiman, who won by a narrow majority of 329 votes.
In the 2018 state election, PH captured the seat from Barisan Nasional (BN) through Datuk Mohamad Rafie Ab. Malek, securing a majority of 1,306 votes.
Historically, Ampangan, which was created in 1984, was considered a traditional BN stronghold before changing hands to Pakatan Rakyat, the predecessor of PH, during the 2008 general election with a slim majority of only 236 votes.
For the upcoming election, Muhammad Nazri will face a three-way contest involving Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Mohamad Rafie, who previously won the seat as a PH candidate in 2018, and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) candidate Noor’azah Harun.
Muhammad Nazri acknowledged that the contest would be challenging, particularly with multiple candidates competing for voter support.
He said success would depend on how effectively the campaign machinery engages with voters and communicates the coalition’s message.
“I will try to meet as many as possible among the 21,336 registered voters in this constituency, with the hope of gaining their support.
“The campaign period of about two weeks must be fully utilised to achieve our objective,” he said.
The Ampangan contest is expected to attract attention due to its competitive history, narrow winning margins and the involvement of candidates with previous political backgrounds in the constituency.
