By: Jose Raymond in Baling, Kedah
First published: 17 March 04, TODAY

After three days of campaigning, it is now obvious that Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is lending his support to areas that may be possible land-mines for the ruling coalition.

A day after visiting the constituency of Ipoh Timur in Perak, where Democratic Action Party strongman Lim Kit Siang is seeking re-election, Mr Abdullah Tuesday took his campaign to Kedah, a state which the opposition Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) has vowed to capture.

After visiting three PAS strongholds of Kuala Kedah, Pedu in Padang Terap and Kubang Rotan, Mr Abdullah's last stop was a sleepy town called Kubang in Baling, which lies about 70km away from his constituency in Kepala Batas, Penang.

The parliamentary seat of Baling was conceded to PAS' Mr Taib Azamuddin Md Taib, the former imam of the National Mosque, in the 1999 election by a margin of 1,394 votes.

This time around, the BN's choice is Dr Masitah Ibrahim, a woman preacher and a popular television breakfast host.

As scores of security personnel kept at bay thousands of well-wishers lining the football field where Mr Abdullah's helicopter landed, it was easy to see why many people in this constituency feel as though they have been forgotten.

The town is made up of almost 54,000 registered voters, of which 70 per cent are rubber tappers and small stallholders.

One stallholder, 64-year-old Mr Khalid Mohd Ramlee, told Today: "I don't know why the PM has suddenly decided to come to this part of Malaysia.

"Many of us felt that we had been forgotten. All we do is just pray to Allah every day and hope for the best for our family."

Some feel that it was this sense of vulnerability that allowed the politics of PAS, which preaches on a religious platform, to seep into this Malay heartland.

Kedah's chief minister, Mr Syed Razak Syed Zain, yesterday tried to quell the belief that the BN had forgotten the existence of small towns such as Baling.

He said: "Today, we have with us here, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Because he has shown us his support, we should acknowledge his presence by giving him a clean sweep in Baling."

In a departure from his speeches over the last few days, Mr Abdullah's address to the more than 1,000-strong crowd crammed into a community hall highlighted the role of Islam in modern Malaysia.

"We want an Islam which is progressive and one which prioritises safety and peace.

"In Malaysia, an Islam which is progressive and which allows one to progress in every field is important for our future growth. I want all of you to achieve what you pray for, and to be happy in this life and also in the next," he said.

Speaking to journalists before he headed off to his own constituency, he gave his indication about what he expected from the state of Kedah: "From a sense of hopelessness, there is now some expectation."