MUAR, May 7 — An unexpected contest is forming in the Muar federal constituency that was earlier set to be a cakewalk for incumbent Datuk Seri Razali Ibrahim after PPBM fielded rookie Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman here.

The two-term Barisan Nasional incumbent likely believed his position secure based on the combination of his 25-year-old opponent’s inexperience and his own 1,646-vote majority win in the previous election.

However, he has now been made to fight for his seat and is touring the constituency, armed with his past service in one hand and BN’s manifesto for the state in the other.

Pakatan Harapan’s campaign spearheaded by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has made sure that Razali cannot afford to rest on his laurels and must slog hard if he intends to build on his previous majority.

Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Muar candidate Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman with Papa Gomo during press conference on debate against Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Seri Razali Ibrahim in Muar May 7, 2018.

Previously mocked as a political "kitten”, Syed Saddiq has developed an unexpected popularity with older voters, adding to the natural affinity he has enjoyed from younger voters.

His fiery and acerbic speeches made him a natural star among DAP supporters, who are all but certain to throw their support behind him.

In turn, Razali must ensure that the PPBM Youth chief does not make further inroads among the older crowd who are the cornerstone of the Umno man’s support.

Sitting on Johor’s border with Melaka, Muar has long been an Umno stronghold and was previously resilient to past efforts by PAS and DAP to penetrate the area.

Still, cracks started forming in elections past and Maharani — one of two state seats under Muar along with Sungai Balang — slipped out of BN’s grasp in 2008.

While Razali withstood the so-called "Chinese tsunami” of 2013, his command of the constituency fell by over 3,000 votes from the previous edition.

This time, there is not another unseen "Chinese tsunami”, but there is an undercurrent of discontent, especially among youths eager to see a changing of the guard, which is also present elsewhere.

With hours left in campaigning, the fight for Muar has remained civil, with race and religion yet to creep into the contest.

Cars colourfully adorned with PKR flags and banners continue to make their nightly rounds, while BN’s efforts have been less visible.

The situation changes away from Muar town. Entering areas such as Parit Jawa and its ilk, visitors are greeted by swathes of BN flags and banners proudly showing, an indication that these remain very much the coalition’s ground.

Still, the contrast suggests that all is not well in the area for BN.

Aside from holding on to the old, Razali must also make effort to neutralise the unhappiness among the area’s youths.

His task is made simpler by the fact that there are not immediate concerns in the area that his opponent can utilise, even if the appetite for change continues to build.

With just over a day left in the campaign, Razali is working hard to cover an area about 100 sq km in size to meet voters, caught in a race of sorts with Syed Saddiq, exchanging firsts in arriving at each stop.

Through no fault of his own, however, Razali’s biggest hindrance is the cancelled debate between him and Syed Saddiq.

The two had agreed on the verbal battle last Sunday, before police barred the event over failures to adhere to the law.

Many who attended were left disappointed and felt Razali missed his chance to tear down Syed Saddiq, notwithstanding the latter’s reputation as the country’s top student debater.

While older voters paid little heed to the circus, it would have been an opportunity for him to earn points with the younger electorate.

Razali is under no illusion that his victory here is assured, but he is choosing to take matters one vote at a time and has turned to a face-to-face campaign to drum up support.

"To me and also to the voters, I feel it is the personal touch that matter most and I will let the Opposition continue with their game of perception,” he said.

However, Razali best beware, for if he is not careful, the game of perception that he is ceding to his rival could be the very one that determines the outcome on May 9.