Young Turks to fight it out in Puchong

Gerakan's Kohilan Pillay is expected to challenge Gobind Singh Deo from DAP for the Puchong seat.

KUALA LUMPUR: Gerakan’s rising star and Selangor party chief senator Kohilan Pillay is most likely to contest the Puchong parliamentary seat at the next general election.

If this materialises, then he would go head on with DAP young gun Gobind Singh Deo, who is the incumbent Puchong MP.

Gerakan sources reveal that party grassroots leaders in Puchong were upbeat and rejuvenated after learning that Kohilan would be the most likely candidate for the seat, early this year.

They feel that Kohilan, who is also Deputy Foreign Minister, would be the right candidate to take on Gobind for the seat.

Senior party members also echo the sentiment. They feel Kohilan is not only academically well qualified, but also well known among party members for his contribution to the party and the people.

“Indications point towards Kohilan as the BN candidate for Puchong. We are working with other BN component parties for the past few months organising programmes to facilitate him to meet grassroots leaders and voters,” a local Gerakan leader told FMT.

This has squashed speculation in the Chinese mainstream media that the Puchong seat, touted as the second largest parliamentary seat in the country after Kapar, would be given to MCA instead under the Barisan Nasional’s seat swapping system.

“At the state BN and divisional levels, we have all agreed that Gerakan should contest the seat. Puchong will be a Gerakan seat,” said the grassroots leader.

Many do not know that Kohilan, although based in Selayang, was actually born at the former Kampung Tun Razak, 13th mile Puchong. He is also the first non-Chinese Gerakan Selangor chief.

“With these two credentials, I think he would be the right one to take on Gobind. At least with Kohilan, the chances are better for the BN to regain the seat,” said the leader.

However, both the potential candidates remain coy over the contest.

Willing to contest difficult seats

Kohilan, when contacted, declined to speculate on which seat he would contest.

“It is too early to say if I will be short-listed as a candidate for Puchong, but indications from the party leadership and BN is that the seat will remain with Gerakan,” said Kohilan.

The 45-year-old former statistics lecturer said he would fully abide by whatever decision taken by the party and BN leadership.

“I will continue to serve the party even if I am not on the candidates’ list,” said Kohilan, who join the party as an ordinary member in 1992 and rose up the ranks through party elections.

The deputy minister said he was willing to contest even “difficult” seats within Selangor or other state.

Meanwhile, Gobind, unfazed by the speculation, said he would welcome anyone to contest the seat.

“I’m been hearing at least six to seven names either from MCA or Gerakan. As far as I am concerned, I will defend the seat subject to the will of the DAP leadership,” Gobind told FMT when contacted.

He said to date there were no indications from the DAP leadership if he would move out of the seat.

“At the same time there is also no indication that I would contest here [Puchong] as well,” he said.

He said a DAP special committee would shortlist names of candidates and this will then be deliberated by Pakatan Rakyat component party leaders.

At the 2008 general election, Gobind won the seat with a thumping 15,000-vote majority defeating Gerakan’s Lau Yeng Peng.

The Puchong parliamentary constituency has more than 85,000 voters. The Election Commission’s records showed that the seat has 45% Malays, 30% Chinese and 25% Indians.