KUALA KUBU BHARU: Beyond perceptions and political parties' branding, perhaps the most fundamental task in the early days of campaigning for the Hulu Selangor by-election is to ensure that candidates and voters get to know each other to cement rapport.

Of the four candidates vying for the parliamentary seat, the two independents — Johan Mohd Diah and V S Chandra — are locals, which they believe would work in their favour.

The two main candidates — PKR's Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Barisan Nasional's (BN) P Kamalanathan — hail from outside the constituency but have the advantage of being backed by party machinery.

Candidates are put on gruelling schedules to cover as much ground and meet as many voters as possible. Political banners aside, the initial encounter could prove essential to a candidate's ever-changing fortunes before the final ballot is cast.

No vote can be taken for granted given the difficulties in ascertaining whether a ballot represents a nod for the candidate, the party he represents or a consideration of various factors.

When it comes to political experience, Zaid trumps his opponents. He was formerly Kota Bharu Umno division chief, a one-term Kota Bharu member of parliament (MP), senator and minister in former premier Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's cabinet in 2008.

After joining PKR in June 2009, he was appointed to the party's political bureau and made Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coordinator.

Zaid, 59, is by far more recognisable than Kamalanathan, whose candidacy was announced only two days before nominations last Saturday.

Many Kuala Kubu Bharu (KKB) town residents still remember Zaid's resignation from his ministerial job to protest the arrest of three civilians under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in September 2008.

But when it comes to charisma and interpersonal skills, Kamalanathan, a 44-year-old public relations manager, takes the lead.

The MIC information chief appears to be in his element on walkabouts, smiling and warmly greeting each person while taking time to listen and talk to residents. Kamalanathan is often seen grasping residents' hands, seeking their “help” and pledging to assist them in return, if he is elected.

"Please help me. Pray for me," he would often say, in a soft voice, before moving on to his next stop. His gestures are mostly returned with smiles.

Kamalanathan's strategy, he told reporters, is to see as much of  the vast constituency as possible to "be their friend" instead of begging for votes.

Wherever he goes, Kamalanathan breaks the ice by emphasising his connection to Hulu Selangor. He mentions that his parents were married in a Hindu temple in Serendah in 1963 and he speaks of his school days in the nearby Rawang town, where he lives.

"Give me a chance to bring development to Hulu Selangor... if you feel you want to help me, please whisper to your neighbours to give BN a chance. You're not voting for me or MIC, you're voting for BN. You're giving your vote to Malaysia and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak," Kamalanathan told the staff of Kuala Kubu Bharu Hospital during a visit last Friday.

While Kamalanathan goes to great lengths to emphasise BN's battle, this could ruffle feathers within the MIC who want the party to be given more prominence.

At this stage, Zaid appears to lack warmth and personal touch when he meets residents.

Last Saturday evening after nominations, Zaid visited KKB town, waving before entering the shop lots, mostly small businesses selling sundry items or eateries. Zaid would then leave in a flash after shaking hands, occasionally exchanging greetings and requests for support.

Many Chinese residents were delighted to see Zaid in the flesh and keen to take photographs with him. But Zaid, at times, appeared unresponsive to the enthusiasm, offering a simple smile and "thank you" to those voicing support for him.

His presence stirred the townsfolk's curiousity that drizzly Saturday evening, with many stepping out to watch the flurry of activity as Zaid moved from street to street with his flag-waving entourage in tow.

It was Petaling Jaya Selatan MP Hee Loy Sian who did most of the talking, introducing PKR's candidate. The hype was also drummed up by Hulu Selangor municipal councillor Chua Yee Ling, who spoke into a loudhailer in Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin, urging support for Zaid.

At an earlier press conference, the Kelantan-born politician again quashed criticism that he was an "outsider".

"I've lived in Selangor for 30 years. It's not important where I live and where I was born. What's important is that the candidate understands the problems of Hulu Selangor and is ready to solve them," he said.

Zaid has pledged to solve local problems and bring changes to Hulu Selangor, on the back of the PR-led Selangor state government's administration.

Kalamalanathan is also banking on local issues to win the fight and spoke at length about the need to jumpstart Hulu Selangor's economy during an interview with The Edge Financial Daily last Friday.

Kamalanathan said the federal government's plan to build Universiti Teknologi Mara's (UiTM) new campus in Serendah could bring a fresh lease of life to the vast semi-rural area.

The former Selayang municipal councillor also took a swipe at the independent candidates, saying, "If they win, how far can they go? How are they going to solve people's problems and bring development? We (BN) have a proven track record."

Kamalanathan added that if elected to parliament, he would also champion the issues that will foster national unity and cultural diversity.

However, he appeared unable to decisively state his stand when asked if Malay nationalist pressure group Perkasa and the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) posed a problem to unity.

"As long as they keep to their objectives and do not spoil other people's culture, heritage, they're okay. It's not wrong for you to believe your rights are important," he said.

To another question, Kamalanathan maintained that Malaysia need not be an Islamic state as "we are comfortable with the current system".

Kamalanathan also said the ISA should be reviewed and not abolished as it was a "necessary" legislation to "maintain peace and order" and to prevent "infringement" on other people's values.

"Malaysia is a very, very sensitive country. People can get hurt easily for using the wrong terminologies on religion and race," he said.

Zaid, however, steers away from talking about voters' racial categories, emphasising the similar needs of people from various backgrounds.

"We fight for the people. People are people. Their basic needs are the same, their economic, social wise and political rights. They want the respect," Zaid told reporters on the sidelines of a PKR dinner in Kampung Chuang in Rasa last Saturday.

Zaid has been vocal against the Ketuanan Melayu concept, emphasising equality and social justice over racial supremacy.

At PR's nightly ceramah, opposition leaders including former Perak menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, PR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng have mounted a strong campaign for Zaid.

In fiery speeches, they laud Zaid's ideals and courage for relinquishing his ministerial position to hold on to his principles.

Anwar and Nizar were indeed the crowd-pullers, both receiving much applause during a PKR dinner last Saturday in Kampung Sejantung, Kalumpang, a Chinese new village about 20 minutes away from KKB town.

Although Zaid is an eloquent speaker, his style is slightly more subtle than his roaring party mates.

During his short speech at Kampung Chuang, the former Umno man wasted no time in blasting BN as "power crazy" and claimed Umno was only concerned about "controlling everything".

"Each time the rakyat speaks and there is more democratic space, they'll break it," Zaid said to some 50 people in the audience that night.

Most of the 600 people at the dinner had left by the time he arrived at about 10.15pm, due to a schedule change.

"We must not be afraid to pick Pakatan. If we choose MIC, again they'll say whoever follows Umno can live. MIC will not speak out or defend anybody," a tired-sounding Zaid said.

The four candidates have only six remaining days of campaigning, in their bid for the Hulu Selangor seat before the 64,500 registered voters make their pick on April 25.