KAJANG, March 12 — The Kajang state seat by-election is shaping up to be a battle of sympathy and ideology.

On one side is a candidate running as a victim of injustice out to right what’s wrong, and on the other, a candidate representing the government promising greater progress.

PKR president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Ismail must have thought she would be taking a back seat during the by-election when her husband, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was named the party’s candidate.

But once again, she has found herself thrust under the spotlight after Anwar was convicted of sodomy and sentenced to five years in prison.

Taking up where her husband has left off, Azizah will face Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Paduka Chew Mei Fun from MCA in a straight fight on March 23.

Speaking to supporters recently, Azizah said it was time to “wipe away her tears and soldier on”.

She can certainly count on her image as the loyal wife of a persecuted husband to gain sympathy votes.

For Chew, contesting the seat could be a question of party pride since the BN leadership was initially reluctant to contest in the polls.  

Chew would most certainly be talking about progress and development on her campaign trail. The odds of winning is stacked against her, but it could be a yardstick for BN to gauge its support among the Chinese voters who virtually “abandoned” the ruling coalition in the general election last year.

Chew arrived at the nomination centre at MPKJ sports complex at 8.50am, while Azizah arrived five minutes later. They were both accompanied by leaders of their respective parties and component parties.

Azizah, accompanied by Anwar and other leaders from the party, filed her nomination papers around 9am with Chew, who was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and other senior BN leaders.

In the meantime, Azizah is said to be Anwar’s saving grace as his ability to win with a convincing majority was increasingly being doubted, with questions on his sincerity in wanting to help and his personal ambitions arising.

Azizah is expected to win the seat and the question now is by how much. PKR’s Lee Chin Cheh won Kajang by a 6,824- vote majority after defeating five other candidates in last year’s general election. He was allegedly told to vacate the seat by Anwar.

Kajang voters are educated urban dwellers numbering 38,965, comprising 48 per cent Malays, 41 per cent Chinese and 10 per cent Indians.