Former Selangor Umno liaison chief Dr Mohd Khir Toyo believes that the repeated attacks on PKR Hulu Selangor by-election candidate Zaid Ibrahim’s past as a drinker was a good campaign strategy.

The move to highlight Zaid’s admission that he used to consumed alcohol in his younger days was a way to discourage PAS’ grassroots from supporting the former minister, said Khir.

NONE “In Hulu Selangor, PKR is not strong. The main machinery is PAS... (The issue) is meant to break down the PAS machinery,” Khir ( left ) told reporters at the Information Ministry media centre in Kuala Kubu Baru this afternoon.

Khir claimed that PAS was angry with PKR for choosing Zaid, which explains why the Islamist party’s campaign has been, of late, on perceivably low gear.

Complaints are said to have been expressed by Pakatan party workers that certain quarters in PAS were not campaigning whole-heartedly in the rural Malay-majority seat, in which they have significant influence.

hulu selangor banner on zaid alcoholic Even before nomination day, several posters have appeared throughout the Hulu Selangor constituency to reinforce Umno’s portrayal of Zaid as an alcoholic.

Following this, Zaid admitted that he had consumed alcohol in his younger days, but has since repented. This has not, however, stopped Umno from harping on this.

Khir's strategy for success

According to Khir, Hulu Selangor PKR division treasurer Dr Halili Rahmat - who announced today he was quitting the party and joining Umno - was PKR’s first choice, not Zaid.

He claims that DAP had pressured PKR to chose Zaid with promises that this would help increase the non-Malay votes.

“There were three choices (Halili, Zaid and PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin), but when discussing at the (top) Pakatan Rakyat level, they chose Zaid because DAP preferred him,” said Khir.

NONE On BN candidate P Kamalanathan’s ( left ) chances of winning, Khir opined that the coalition must maintain the same level of support from Felda settlers as it did in 2008 in order to win.

"If Pakatan successfully reduces our vote in Felda, then we are finished. We have to maintain their votes,“ he said, adding that he must work very hard to ensure a BN victory.

He believes that BN can coast to an easy win should it have about 50 percent of the Chinese votes and 75 percent of the Indian votes.