Jui Meng confident of win in Segamat, says electoral fraud only obstacle

Chua high-fives a patron in a restaurant while on the campaign trail in Segamat on May 2, 2013. — Picture by Saw Siow FengSEGAMAT, May 4 — Datuk Chua Jui Meng has expressed confidence of victory in the Segamat federal seat contest, saying that the only obstacle would be the alleged fraud in what is seen as the country’s most intense general election in history.

“I believe I’m already winning. The only thing that can stop my win is huge fraudulent practices,” the Johor PKR chief told The Malaysian Insider in an interview just days away from the May 5 polls.

Polls watchdogs and politicians from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have frequently claimed that there are “phantom voters” in the electoral roll, with the latest controversy arising a few days ago over the effectiveness of the indelible ink used during early voting, which Chua also referred to.

Chua said his advantage lies in the fact that people remember him from his days in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and in more recent years, as a two-term health minister.

“My advantage is everywhere I go, people recognise me, they know who I am,” he said, adding that he had helped transform the Health Ministry to become more relevant.

“If I were to come in as an unfamiliar face in a difficult terrain, I can tell you it’s not possible to win in Segamat,” he added.

Chua says his advantage is people recognise him wherever he goes.He was left with merely weeks to prepare for the Segamat contest after DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang was fielded in the Gelang Patah federal seat which both Chua and Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau were eyeing.

Chua will be facing a formidable foe from Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, the caretaker human resource minister who has served in the constituency for two terms.

Chua outlined the difficulties he faced in Segamat, including a initially poorly-organised party machinery and the hike in the rural Malay voters that are seen to be more inclined towards the ruling BN coalition.

“We found out the number of Felda voters and rural Malay voters has risen sharply by 13 to 15 per cent. That’s a huge jump for a largely rural-based, agricultural-based population,” the former MCA vice-president said.

Chua had in his campaign gone into “the blackest of black areas” where BN’s influence is deeply entrenched, including Felda Paloh Timur, which has seven oil palm estates.

“We are looking at very closed minds,” Chua said of the residents in Felda and rural areas, saying that he hoped the younger generation who had left to work in urban areas would help change the minds of the mostly older generation there.

He had also worked hard to consolidate the support from the Chinese community, saying it was a “dangerous assumption” to think that they would vote for him.

He pointed to the huge turnout when Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim came recently for a ceramah, where about 30,000 people turned up and raised funds of RM35,000, as an indication of the people’s support for him.

But locals have a mixed view of the crowd size, with some saying that it is not a true indicator of support while others point to the amount of money raised as proof of sincere support.

Chua has been banking on the pledges in PR’s national manifesto and state manifesto when campaigning, sharing anecdotes of how he had promoted the opposition pact’s promise to abolish federal tertiary education loans (PTPTN) to poor families in Felda.

Dr Subramaniam is relying on his achievements in the constituency to win re-election.His opponent Dr Subramaniam is relying on his achievements such as a RM135 million flood-relief project following two major floods, initiating the ongoing 62.5km-long Segamat-Tangkak road project costing RM733 million, the building of new roads including a link to Malacca costing a total of RM165 million.

Locals have said that Segamat, which was once an important transit point and railway stop, has experienced slower economic growth when the North-South Expressway bypassed it.

In his election pamphlet, Dr Subramaniam says he plans to connect the expressway with another highway passing through Segamat, while also pledging to push for the town to be a satellite development area of the lucrative Iskandar Malaysia project.

“He helps all regardless of race,” said retired teacher Wardah, referring to the aid given to Chinese primary schools.

“Some people just ignore the contribution simply because they want to go against BN,” another retired teacher from the Chinese community said, having spoken about the project to deepen the river and prevent floods, as well as the road projects.

Despite Dr Subramaniam’s track record, two factors could work against him here — the implementation of the minimum wage policy and the picketing by the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) against him.

Flyers carrying the line “NUBE appeals to all Segamat voters, vote for anyone except Dato Dr S. Subramaniam”, attacking the MIC deputy president in four different languages, were distributed earlier this week.

Chua said he had not expected the trade union to come and protest against Dr Subramaniam, saying: “They have come of their own freewill.”

He also said that employers’ unhappiness over the need to pay a minimum wage may have less of an impact on Dr Subramaniam in Segamat as there were fewer industries here compared to places like Muar, a town famous for its furniture industry.

The Segamat seat is largely composed of Chinese and Malays at 46 per cent and 44 per cent respectively, while Indian voters make up about 10 per cent of the 47,115 voters.

Dr Subramaniam defeated the DAP’s Pang Hok Liong twice, winning by a 7,809-vote majority in 2004 and a smaller majority of 2,991 votes in 2008.