The Malaysian Insight

NATIONAL issues are expected to dominate the Tg Piai parliamentary by-election despite the fact that the constituency has its own share of domestic problems.

Local political leaders said Putrajaya’s handling of the teaching of khat for primary four vernacular pupils and the ratification of global human rights treaties are among issues expected to reduce support from non-Muslims, its main support base.

These issues, which have been hotly debated by both Muslims and non-Muslims, are expected to overshadow Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) own achievements solving local problems, such as traffic congestion and business development.  

“PH is sending a local candidate to contest. We hope that by doing this, we can change the negative feelings people have about PH,” said Pekan Nenas assemblyman Yeo Tung Siong.

Despite the federal and state governments’ record of service in the area, national issues are likely to dominate the by-election campaign, said Yeo, who is from PH component party DAP.

“We are the underdogs, we tried to solve traffic issues in the area, we tried to develop the Pontian market, but voters still do not support us,” Yeo told The Malaysian Insight.

He added that Tg Piai needed an open-minded representative as it needed to arrest declining support from Chinese voters who make up 42% of its 52,986 constituents.

Malays make up 57%, while Indians comprise 1% of the voting population.

PH is fielding imam cum businessman Karmaine Sardini to retain the seat, which fell vacant following the death of Md Farid Md Rafiq.

Karmaine, who is Tg Piai Bersatu division chief, was born and raised in Telok Kerang, Pontian, the main town in the constituency.

Barisan Nasional is also expected to field a candidate to recapture a seat that had traditionally been theirs since it was created in 2003 after an electoral re-delineation exercise.

BN’s Wee Jeck Seng had defended the seat in the 2008 and 2013 general elections. He lost it to Farid in GE14 last year by a narrow 524 votes.

PH leaders have admitted that they face an uphill battle to retain the seat given the large networks BN built among locals there.

Kg Duku village chief Zamzam Hashim said Malays in the constituency have not decided on which party they will support, but he hoped that the candidate will be based in Tg Piai.

“The local Malays haven’t decided which party they will support,” said Zamzam.  

“We hope that the candidates can continue Farid’s spirit. We want a candidate that is moderate,” he said.

“We also hope that parties from the outside do not come and disrupt the harmony here by playing up racial issues during and after the election period,” he said.

The Election Commission (EC) has set November 2 for nominations and November 16 for polling in the Tg Piai parliamentary by-election. – October 29, 2019.