By Zainal Epi

KUALA KUBU BARU: The stage is all set for the big battle – the respective parties have chosen their men and tomorrow they will file their nomination papers.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, PKR's Zaid Ibrahim will meet BN's P Kamalanathan in what could be a bruising fight for the hearts and minds of the Hulu Selangor voters.

Zaid is a non-local but a well-known figure in the political arena at the national level. Kamalanathan, on the other hand, although also a non-local, is born and bred in Rawang, which is near to the Hulu Selangor constituency. Thus, he can claim to be acquainted with the locals there. His only exposure on the national stage is as MIC information chief.

Given the background of the candidates, it is clear that both sides of the political divide are approaching the voters at two different levels when they hit the trail.

BN will trumpet its ability to tackle local problems while PKR will go to town with the message that its candidate will be able to fight for them at the national level.

But beneath the seemingly calm surface, both rival parties face the same problem – resentment towards the chosen candidates.

For BN, the problem seems to be manageable because the respective party leaders are quite capable of disciplining their members.

For PKR, it is a totally different story, given the recent spate of troubles plaguing the party. Distrust, internal politicking, resignations, mutual recriminations, open slanging match seem to be the order of the day in the ranks of the PKR.

When Zaid was picked, many PKR members took offence and many have indicated that they would not be campaigning for him.

If this anger lasts until polling day – April 25 – PKR can say goodbye to the seat.

Even big gun Anwar Ibrahim is not expected to make much of an impact, given his personal problems that have put him in a very tight spot.

By parachuting Zaid into the war zone, it makes it difficult for PKR members to “sell” him to the locals, especially when he is a national figure who speaks more English than Malay.

PKR members were expecting someone who is more down-to-earth to represent the locals, the very people who would be ticking the ballot papers.

Under normal circumstances, the electorate would normally choose someone who can serve them effectively. But Hulu Selangor is not a simple story. Many complications have set in, making it somewhat difficult for the voters to decide who they eventually want as their man in Parliament. Do they want an MP who can articulate only national and international issues or a Yang Berhormat who can alleviate the misery of the local people?

Come April 25, the voters of Hulu Selangor will reveal what role they want their MP to play in the Dewan Rakyat.

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