ANALYSIS | Pakatan Harapan candidate Anwar Ibrahim has set his target in securing a respectable majority vote in the Port Dickson by-election in his return to politics as prime minister-in-waiting.

While not giving an exact figure, it was reported that he wanted his majority votes to be as big as former MP Danyal Balagopal Abdullah's 17,710 votes.

“I have been chosen by friends in Pakatan Harapan to be Dr Mahathir (Mohamad)’s successor as prime minister. I want my mandate to be strong," Anwar was quoted by The Malaysian Insight as saying at a ceramah on Oct 1.

"I will be embarrassed if I only secure a majority of 220 votes," he added.

To get a mandate like the former MP, Anwar will have to push for a voter turnout rate of above 80 percent.

In its first by-election in June 2000, Port Dickson (known as Teluk Kemang then) only secured a 66.14 percent voter turnout.

In this analysis, Malaysiakini will explore the challenges faced by Anwar's campaign team to persuade the voters to come back to cast their ballots...