Labor leader Luke Foley says he's confident of picking up the western Sydney seat of Auburn despite an influential Muslim leader urging voters to back his Liberal rival.
Mr Foley was controversially parachuted into the seat shortly after being anointed opposition leader, bringing forward the retirement of sitting member Barbara Perry.
Lebanese Muslim Association president Samier Dandan says Labor should have instead preselected local councillor Hicham Zraika who was "well groomed" to run in the seat.
In an online video interview, Mr Dandan said he was backing Auburn mayor and Liberal candidate Ronney Oueik in the seat.
"I believe in someone from the community to represent the community," he told a Muslim community website.
"Because by default someone who's from the community understands the issues that are related to that community as opposite to someone who has been parachuted into a seat."
With his party holding a 7.2 per cent margin, Mr Foley said he was confident of Auburn remaining in Labor hands on Saturday.
"I continue to have very good engagement and encounters with not only the Lebanese community, but all multicultural communities in Auburn," he told reporters.
A Labor source later said Mr Dandan's comments weren't surprising given he had backed the Liberal Party in the 2011 election.
"This guy is a Lib," the source told AAP.
"I wouldn't say it's a huge deal.
"The community of Auburn won't just vote as a block just because one group tells them to."
Mr Dandan denies he supports either major party, pointing to the fact that he is backing Labor's candidate for the southwest Sydney seat of Lakemba Jihad Dib.
"All what we're doing is asking for people from the local community to represent the community," Mr Dandan told AAP.
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