The Malaysian Insight

MALAYS from a critical vote bank in the Cameron Highlands by-election but remain mostly lukewarm towards Pakatan Harapan despite the coalition deploying six ministers and the prime-minister-in-waiting in its biggest ceramah thus far.

Malay residents of the Sg Koyan area in Jelai and even PH activists said it is still hard for the ruling coalition to win over the Malays despite the attention over the past six days.

A significant chunk of the 10,700 Malay voters in the Cameron Highlands constituency are in the Sg Koyan area, which has three Felda settlements. In the 14th general election, PH only managed to win 9% votes in the constituency’s polling districts.

Voters told The Malaysian Insight that PH’s unfulfilled promises is one of the main reasons the Malays of Sg Koyan are sceptical of the new federal government.

Another reason which will affect PH’s votes among Malays is that many younger members of the community, especially second-generation settlers, are reluctant to return home to vote.

“From what my friends say, Sg Koyan will still be with BN (Barisan Nasional),” said first-generation settler Razali Salim, after he finished listening to a ceramah by PKR president and prospective prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar was among the 10 speakers at a grand ceramah in Felda Sg Koyan I, the largest of its kind ever since the official campaign period started on Saturday.

With him were Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng, Religious Affairs Minister Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Salahuddin Ayob and Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh.

Also at the ceramah were Mujahid’s deputy, Fuziah Salleh, Deputy Works Minister Annuar Tahir, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Ketari assemblyman Young Syefura Osman and candidate M. Manogaran.

Manogaran is taking on BN’s Ramli Mohd Nor and two other independent candidates in the January 26 by-election.

Too many U-turns

Mohamad Rawi of Sg Koyan 1 expects many second-generation settlers to skip the vote next week.

“It’s not like the general election where there was this strong passion to return and vote. People don’t feel that this by-election will change anything. So, they are not returning. The people who will be voting are the ones who still live here,” said the 65-year-old.

“If a family has four second-generation settlers working in the cities, I think only one will return,” said Mohamad, who dropped in to listen to the ceramah briefly on this way back from a nearby mosque.

A second-generation settler, who wanted to be known as Amirul, said most of Sg Koyan will vote for BN despite the former administration’s faults.

“The current government dares to promise us things. They have made so many U-turns on so many things, so why should we vote for them?” asked the 46-year-old.

Irwan, a voter from Kuala Medang, another Malay enclave in Jelai, said he and his friends will continue to vote for BN.

“The PH leadership appearing in Sg Koyan does not make a difference. We have voted for BN before and we will vote for them again,” said the 40-year old.

“The people do not want fake promises from PH that will be forgotten once they are elected. The BN government never made wild promises unlike PH, but PH promises this and then does not fulfil it.”

One voter however, Saipul Izham, 25, predicted that most Malays will choose the PH.

“The PH leaders excite the people. I’m okay with the previous government, but I think most people will choose PH because we see the leaders.

“There are changes that we will see once PH wins here. I hope (government will resolve) the rights of the settlers and we get our land titles.” – January 18, 2019.