Five-set thriller in Sungai Siput

AS one passes Chemor en route to Sungai Siput, the changes are visible. Samy's – the famous two-shoplot banana leaf restaurant – is packed to the brim, an indication of a thriving metropolis.

The four-lane trunk road is decked with the flags of the political parties but the blue ones outnumber the cyan and green by about 10 to one.

In the distance, a small lone red bunting flutters in the wind. Look at it closely and the words "Parti Sosialis Malaysia" (PSM) are printed with the image of a clenched fist.

Even the police headquarters is a far cry from the mundane buildings occupied by our men in blue in other towns. A modern architectural design, ample parking space and a soothing environment makes it an iconic building that stands out as a symbol of the constituency's former member of parliament and one-time works minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu's contribution.

The political tsunami of 2008 uprooted him from what used to be his weekend getaway with the electorate, but over the past few weeks, he's been back and the "Godfather" who brought so much progress for the people of Sungai Siput has not been forgotten.

Elsewhere, off the trunk road in a sparsely furnished shophouse in Taman Orkid, is the base of the incumbent – Dr Michael Jayakumar Devaraj, a physician, whose socialist roots go back to his days in medical school at Universiti Malaya.

Unlike other service centres which are air-conditioned and manned by paid workers, only one aide is in sight. "We are just starting up and expect more volunteers to come in."

The keyword is volunteerism and Jayakumar's office survives with his MP allowance. During campaign time, well-wishers and even the local hawkers provide food and refreshments for the volunteers.

In a town made infamous by the Emergency and having been the hotbed of the then Communist movement, being in Sungai Siput is best described in his own words: "People used to view socialism as dangerous." Not anymore.

But for the past 20 years, his work with the poor and the underprivileged in the area has been recognised and was the forbearer over his 1,821-vote win over Samy Vellu in his third attempt.

He admits he's no Lim Kit Siang, who is accepted as the vociferous voice of the people which echoes the sombre sittings of the House of Parliament.

Jayakumar makes no pretence of being or wanting to be another Kit Siang. He prefers to serve the people – a credo which he inherited as a student and lives by it until today. It is service that's foremost on his mind although he did ruffle a few feathers in a parliamentary debate on Article 153 of the Constitution.

Service cannot be rendered without resources. If not the money, at least some clout. With neither, the task is always daunting.

Despite the lack of funds (he lost a court case where he questioned the government for denying allocations for his constituency), lack of cooperation from government agencies and other obstacles in his path, he has persevered.

Jayakumar rattles off his pickle: "No access, no funds, no government support."

To add insult to injury, he lists attempts to derail the work for the people of Sungai Siput.

He recalls the "sabotage" by local officials after having sought a settlement for estate workers who were retrenched.

"The owners agreed to provide the land but the Land Office interfered and said it would provide the land and that there was no need for the plantation to alienate land. That was in 1999 and until now, the workers have no houses."

He laments that people in the urban areas have not seen the "other side" of how people live in squalid conditions below the poverty line.

"We have no money to throw. We cannot be expected to pay their electricity or water bills or put food on their tables."

This "disadvantage" is, however, compensated by the service provided to those affected and bringing up their cause.

And taking up cudgels in the name of the downtrodden has been Jayakumar's forte even before he stepped out to seek public office.

He and his group have been doing work with the people here for more than 20 years. Those days, his regular visits after finishing work in a specialist hospital in Ipoh were a common sight in the many kampungs and settlements in the outskirts of Sungai Siput.

So, with so little resources, how does he connect with the people?

"In all my five years as an MP, I have not been invited for a single event. Not even school sports days or speech days. I don't blame the headmasters or the teachers. They are scared," said Jayakumar.

But necessity is the mother of invention. Every year, he puts out three or four booklets printed in three languages outlining what had been done and what had been achieved. These books are effective tools in communicating with the electorate in the absence of well-oiled party machinery.

Caretaker Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk S.K. Devamany is likely to be his opponent but knowing the vagaries of Malaysian politics, a return of Samy Vellu may not be surprising.

Describing himself as a "winnable" candidate, Samy Vellu has been laying the groundwork for Barisan Nasional's return to Sungai Siput.

On top of that, there's the issue of the symbol under which Jayakumar and other PSM members would contest. Standing under the party's own symbol is "just a slight disadvantage", as he puts it.

"We have been working under that symbol for many years. Although I stood on a DAP ticket in 2004 and a PKR ticket in 2008, I never hid my party affiliation," he says.

But he insists that the people of Sungai Siput have "seen our work" and hence, the issue of service takes precedence over party affiliation.

The issue of the symbol is just a minor hiccup as Jayakumar says the community is comfortable and doesn't see the party's socialist policies or the PSM logo as a barrier when they approach the party with their grievances. If that is the case, it would not be game, set and match but a five-set thriller as in 2008.

-thesundaily