By Channel NewsAsia's Malaysia Bureau Chief Melissa Goh
KUALA KUBU BARU, Selangor : The battleline is drawn in a high stakes parliamentary by-election in Malaysia.
It will be a four-cornered fight in the semi-rural constituency of Hulu Selangor on April 25.
The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition - led by Deputy Premier Muhyiddin Yassin - has vowed to wrest back the seat from the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance.
The other two candidates are independents.
The usually quiet town of Kuala Kubu Baru was woken up by the arrival of thousands of BN and opposition supporters on nomination day.
Hundreds of riot police, armed with tear gas were on standby, while water canon trucks were rolling up the hill towards the nomination centre, the town's only sports complex.
55-year-old former law minister Zaid Ibrahim was the first to arrive, accompanied by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, as their supporters cheered on.
BN's candidate P Kamalanathan came in shortly after to file his papers.
The 44-year-old, who is a trained public relations officer, admits that he's the underdog, but vows to win over voters with his clean and friendly image.
"They are the defending champion, this is their home ground. (But) I am going to win as many voters as possible," said BN's candidate Kamalanathan.
BN's campaign chairman, Deputy PM Muhyiddin, said the Barisan machinery is ready to reach out to all 64,000 voters in Hulu Selangor.
"We will take the bull by the horn, we will not run away. We will face the people and we will explain. We only have good intentions for the people," said DPM Muhyiddin.
Opposition candidate Zaid Ibrahim meanwhile brands himself as a reformer.
A former UMNO man, he said he is prepared to face BN's huge machinery head on.
"I view my opponent seriously. I believe there's no time to underestimate anyone, especially when you are dealing with Barisan," said Pakatan Rakyat's candidate Zaid Ibrahim.
Hulu Selangor will see a four-cornered fight, with businessman V Chandran and Johan Diah, a Felda settler and entrepreneur, standing as independents.
While the battle for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat has officially begun, police have warned all sides to play by the rules.
All political rallies will require a police permit, as the town gets all geared for 8 days of intense campaigning.
CNA /ls
Channel News Asia
