BUTTERWORTH: BN's candidate for the Permatang Pauh by-election Datuk Arif Shah Haji Omar Shah and his son have won the hearts of the Chinese community here with their fluent Mandarin and Hokkien.

Arif Shah has been moving around visiting the voters in Permatang Pauh since the nomination day. And wherever he goes, a somewhat plump boy is always spotted holding the propaganda phamphlets close by his side, distributing them when Arif is busy shaking hands with the voters.

This plump boy is Arif Shah's 12-year-old son Izrin, a Standard 6 student at a Chinese school. The boy not only has a Chinese name, but can also write his name in Chinese characters very neatly.

The election campaign happens to fall during school holidays, giving Arif Shah's fifth and youngest son an opportunity to savour something very different from what his peers could experience.

Although he feels exhausted following his father out early in the morning to visit the voters until late at night, Izrin remains elated, "As long as dad wins, it doesn't matter if I have to work harder."

Of course, Izrin is well aware that it is not easy for his father to become a politician.

During the 10-day campaign period, the journey that Arif Shah has to go through is indeed very long, especially the Chinese community. And the best way to reach out to Chinese voters is to make personal appearances at dinners held in conjunction with the Hungry Ghost Festival.

It is indeed a little difficult for him, as a Muslim, to visit places where the Chinese worship their deities and ancestors, and where drinking has become part and parcel of their festive culture. Having said that, Arif Shah has never shied away. To him, these places offer him an opportunity to get really close to the Chinese community, while protruding the uniqueness of Malaysia's multicultural social fabric.

Even when Arif Shah had to run about a few places to campaign for the by-election on Tuesday, he did not forget to make a stop at the Hungry Ghost Festival dinner at Taman Tun Hussein Onn, chatting with the voters amicably in fluent Mandarin and Hokkien.

It is not easy for politicians to establish close and amicable relationship with the voters. Arif Shah said, since he was elected the state assemblyman for Seberang Jaya in 2004. he has been attending Hungry Ghost Festival dinners every year, come rain or shine, as this is the best place for him to understand what the residents need. (Sin Chew Daily)