Charles walks into 'inferno' with Indian leaders when stumping for Harapan

 

JOHOR POLLS | Charles Santiago emerged singed after meeting a group of Indian community leaders in Johor while campaigning for Pakatan Harapan.

“It felt less like a discussion and more like stepping into an inferno,” the former DAP lawmaker told Malaysiakini. 

Charles said he spent two days in Johor Bahru, making repeated trips to Iskandar Puteri, where he found growing anger towards Harapan and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

“One thing is unmistakable: people are angry with Harapan and PMX (Anwar).

“Not mildly disappointed. Angry,” he emphasised.

According to Charles, there were no flags, no party machinery in overdrive and no visible signs that polling day was just around the corner.

“Yet beneath the quiet surface is a political furnace,” he said, recalling his two-hour meeting with the Indian community leaders.

“The frustration with Harapan was relentless. Many spoke of promises unfulfilled, rising costs, and a growing sense of political abandonment.

“The irony is striking. The Indian middle class appears ready to cast a protest vote with Bersama, while many in the working class are drifting back to BN - the very coalition they once helped vote out,” he added.

Charles said that if the mood he experienced during the meeting reflected sentiments beyond the room, the election might not be decided by who inspires the most hope.

“But by who attracts the deepest disappointment,” he added.

Kingmakers

Earlier, Malaysiakini reported that Johor’s Indian voters could become another demographic capable of tipping the scales against Harapan in Saturday’s state election.

A straw poll in greater Johor Bahru suggested that disappointment with Harapan runs deep within the Indian community, raising questions over whether voters will shun the ballot box or throw their support behind rival coalitions.

Yet despite their shared resentment, those who spoke to Malaysiakini said their choices on Saturday would depend on where they draw the line.

Before nomination day, a Merdeka Centre survey found BN’s caretaker Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi enjoyed a 94 percent approval rating among Indian respondents, compared with 92 percent among Malays and 53 percent among Chinese respondents. - Mkini