The Malaysian Insight

THE Balakong by-election will see a straight fight between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional’s MCA.

Shortly after nomination was closed at 10am, Hulu Langat land and district officer Rosli Othman announced that PH candidate Wong Siew Ki, who is former Subang Jaya councillor, will battle it out with Cheras Batu 11 MCA Youth chief Tan Chee Teong on September 8.

Tan, a businessman and first-time election candidate, submitted his nomination papers at 9.06am, while Wong submitted hers at 9.09am, at the Hulu Langat Land and District Office in Bandar Baru Bangi.

Tan said he was not able to sleep well last night due to nerves, and woke up at 6.30am today.

“This is my first time contesting in an election, and MCA is the underdog. My only advantage is that I’m a born and bred Balakong boy,” he told the media at the nomination centre.

MCA deputy president Wee Ka Siong and vice-president Chew Mei Fun, who is also election director for the Balakong polls, were present to support Tan.

Supporters from both parties chanted “MCA” and “Pakatan Harapan” ahead of the official announcement on the candidates.

DAP’s Wong was accompanied by secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, national organising secretary Anthony Loke, Selangor party leaders Teng Chang Khim and Ng Suee Lim, and Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming.

This is the first time MCA is using its 14-pointed star logo rather than BN’s well-known “dacing” (weighing scales) logo. In another first, PH will use the pact’s logo.

PH parties used PKR’s logo in the 14th general election, as the Registrar of Societies had blocked the coalition’s registration.

Balakong was part of the Serdang parliamentary seat, which was renamed Bangi for GE14. The state constituency has 62,219 voters.

It was an MCA stronghold before the 2008 political tsunami, with the party holding the state seat comfortably in the three general elections between 1995 and 2004.

However, the seat fell to DAP in the 2008 general election. The party’s strength has since increased, from a majority of 4,795 votes that year to 35,538 on May 9.

DAP made a clean sweep of Balakong’s 17 polling districts in GE14, including in Malay-majority areas like Desa Baiduri, Bandar Tun Hussein Onn and Simpang Balak.

PH polled 41,768 votes, compared with PAS (6,230) and MCA (5,874).

PAS previously said it was opting out of Balakong to concentrate on the Seri Setia by-election, and the Islamist party’s leadership has called on members in Balakong to support MCA. – August 18, 2018.