A town with an independent spirit

KUALA LUMPUR: After a week of miserable weather, the sun had returned to Merlimau and its people were glad to use their umbrellas for a drier reason.

It was high noon but the children in estate workers’ quarters were already lolling in the playground next to a Sime Darby plantation eagerly lapping up the long-awaited sunshine.

Outside the quarters, three middle-aged women clad in factory uniforms exchanged news as they waited for a bus under the cool shade of a bus stop. It was the quintessential image of a small town.

Merlimau is snuggled between Malacca and Muar, and falls under the Jasin constituency. Forty years ago, it was a pit stop for travellers heading south who were drawn to the gentle vibes of a small town. Nothing much has changed since then.

Most of the locals work mainly in the plantations and industrial areas. Many Malays and Chinese are fishermen and the beach that stretches from Merlimau to Serkam is dotted with ikan bakar stalls.

Entertainment outlets, however, can only be found in Malacca town and cravings for fast food have to be satiated in Jasin. Apart from that, Merlimau is very much self-sustained.

The quiet afternoon is broken by the low hum of a tractor being manned in an estate across the bus stop. In the estate vicinity, stands Merlimau’s main Hindu temple and a potential source of conflict in the near future.

“MIC has taken over one of Merlimau’s 10 temples and plans to relocate it nearby here,” explained a local. “The proximity between the two may lead to this temple being declared redundant and eventually demolished.”

However, he admitted that the issue still hinged on speculation. When probed about other issues, he thought long and hard before finally shrugging.

“There really aren’t any other issues,” he said. “We have been well taken care of by the state government and the late assemblyman (Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hassan), so we’re very satisfied.”

He spoke the truth. Merlimau’s roads are well maintained, its street lights are in working order and its public facilities are impressive. It boasts a library, a resort, a police training centre and a health centre.

Merlimau may be a stroll in the park for BN as there are practically no major grouses for the opposition to exploit.

The town is split into old and new township, each less than three kilometres long. The former has more trendy eateries and a smattering of cybercafes while the latter is peppered with traditional coffeeshops and family-run businesses.

As for Hidhir, the locals unhesitatingly attested to his good work there. One of his most significant contributions was obtaining a piece of land for the relocation of a Tamil school. The Indian community had long been fighting for that plot and Hidhir’s assistance was not easily forgotten.

Servicing a small town may not require much effort but Hidhir was considerate in maintaining the quality of living to which the locals are accustomed. Merlimau is a town which boasts a self-reliant spirit and Hidhir has kept it that way.

And this may be enough to secure BN’s victory during the March 6 by-election.

Easy win for BN

Jalani Amit, the chairman of Perkasa Jasin, is certain that BN will retain its seat in Merlimau based simply on the people’s level of satisfaction. To him, there was no reason to fix what isn’t broken.

And though the by-election fever hasn’t quite hit Merlimau yet, there is a faint anticipation in the air.

“Of course we’re a little excited,” he laughed. “We’ve seen the rewards of a by-election in Tenang where even the least travelled roads are now brightly lit.” But when asked what goodies Merlimau is hoping for, he too was at a loss.

“We actually have everything we need already,” he said. “The new assemblyman will just have to continue Hidhir’s work.”

Jalani also clarified that Perkasa would not be involved in any campaigning and merely act as the middleman between the locals and political parties if necessary.

Meanwhile, out-of-town visitors have been dropping by the office of Jasin MP, Ahmad Hamzah. His personal assistant, who only wanted to be known as June, has mixed feelings about the coming by-election.

“On the one hand, it will inject more excitement into Merlimau” she laughed. “On the other, it would also cause temporary chaos. The BN and MIC have already set up their service centres here.”

BN had in fact set up seven service centres around Merlimau but only its parliamentary service centre was open when FMT visited. A representative explained that many of the volunteers were still at work and the other centre would open later in the evening.

The shutters were partially open at the MIC service centre which was almost fully operational. The centre’s manager, who wanted to be known as Rajen, said that MIC had set up the centre on Jan 22 due to the escalating rents.

“This shoplot was going for RM750 for both upper and lower floors,” he said. “We are paying RM5,000 now. Another shoplot is going for RM10,000.”

“Since we’ve been here we’ve held meetings with the MIC local leaders to discuss preparations. We’ve also spoken to the Indian community but so far their problems mostly revolve around petty issues. There isn’t any major issue that we need to tackle at this point.”

June confirmed this. “Many people come to this office and most of the time they bring in issues that can easily be resolved.”

For now, it appears that winning the Merlimau seat will be a stroll in the park for BN. -FMT