SABAK BERNAM, June 4 — Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Budiman Mohd Zohdi is aiming for the Chinese voters he convinces in the course of the Sungai Besar by-election to become the catalyst for the community’s return to the coalition's fold.

The Sungai Panjang assemblyman believes his performance in Sekinchan, one of two state seats under Sungai Besar, will be a bellwether of the community’s support for BN both on June 18 and the general election no more than two years away.

BN suffered what Umno called a “Chinese tsunami” in Election 2013, but there are growing signs the community has begun to soften its stance towards the coalition. In last month’s Sarawak election, a swing in Chinese support helped BN secure a dominating victory, winning 72 of the 82 state seats.

“I would like if this campaign for Sungai Besar will spark the momentum for BN to win back Selangor in the next general election,” he told Malay Mail Online in an interview this week.

“We have to build our strengths. If we see cracks in the opposition, it can be a bonus to us.”

The 44-year-old, who is pursuing a doctorate in political science, said the key to winning back the Chinese voters was to be a voice of moderation.

He also believed his track record in the Sungai Panjang seat, the other state constituency in Sungai Besar, would translate well and help him win over the non-Malay voters.

“We cannot be extreme. Malay’s cannot be extreme, Chinese cannot be extreme and Indians cannot be extreme. It is simple as that,” he said.

Despite his lofty goal, however, Budiman is aware of the task awaiting him. BN barely won Sungai Besar in the 13th general election and a victory on June 18 was by no means assured.

Dubbing himself the underdog even with the massive array of BN resources that will be deployed for his campaign, Budiman is aiming simply for a victory, one he hoped the Chinese vote would help deliver.

“You can check my track record in Sungai Panjang. Even though the Chinese community in the last election didn’t give very good support to BN, but I still serviced them.

“I’m the kind of assemblyman who will go to a Chinese funeral -- that is rare, but I’m doing this consistently. If not, I wouldn’t know the customs of the Chinese and how their funerals are conducted,” Budiman explained.

With DAP’s influence in Sekinchan and other Chinese areas of Sungai Besar, Budiman appreciated the challenge he has set for himself, but said the feedback he received showed he was not blindly optimistic.

Although ultimately uncertain if the Chinese voters would accept him, Budiman believed persistence and patience were paramount.

“The Chinese need time to evaluate. It takes a little bit time,” he said.

Sungai Besar is a primarily rural federal constituency with 42,836 registered voters, 67.18 per cent of whom are Malay and 1.91 per cent Indian..

At 30.18 per cent, the Chinese vote will be significant, as Malay support is expected to be split between BN-Umno and PAS.

The late Datuk Noriah Kasnon, whose death triggered the by-election, won the seat by just 399 votes in Election 2013.

Budiman won the Sungai Panjang state assembly seat during Election 2013 with a majority of 2,183 votes, defeating PAS candidate Mohd Fadzin Taslimin.

He will face PAS’s Meru assemblyman Dr Abdul Rani Osman along with Parti Amanah Nasional’s Sungai Besar chairman Azhar Ab Shukur.