Ipoh Timur: A walk in the park for DAP?

DAP’s Wong is confident the party will retain the Ipoh Timur parliamentary seat and its three state constituencies.

PETALING JAYA: The battle for the Ipoh Timur parliamentary constituency and its three state constituencies, Canning, Tebing Tinggi and Pasir Pinji, seem likely to be won by DAP, just like in 2008 and 2013.

After all, in GE13, DAP’s Su Keong Siong won the parliamentary constituency quite comfortably with a 34,000 vote majority, while DAP’s Wong Kah Woh, Ong Boon Piow and Howard Lee won their Canning, Tebing Tinggi and Pasir Pinji seats with the lion’s share of votes against MCA and Gerakan candidates.

In fact, Wong told FMT that he feels confident DAP will retain the four seats in GE14, even in the face of the #UndiRosak campaign, but refuses to leave anything to chance.

“Ipoh Timur is an urban area, and in urban areas, the people want change. They want an end to corruption and GST. In 2013, we won the popular vote both in Perak and at the federal level. When we walk around and meet people, we can feel that Ipoh wants change.”

He said it can’t be denied that some voters, both young and old may be jaded with politics, but believe that the more organised Pakatan Harapan (PH), led by its chairman and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as well as the coalition’s manifesto will give confidence to voters that PH is ready to govern.

PH is made up of PKR, DAP, Amanah and PPBM.

While many on social media have criticised PH for choosing Mahathir as its PM candidate, Wong, who is DAP Socialist Youth chief, said feedback from the ground in Ipoh Timur indicated that most want PPBM chairman Mahathir as the next prime minister.

“Mahathir is committed to the reforms that PH wants to push. His presence gives confidence to voters in Ipoh Timur because he is a strong leader.”

Wong says feedback from the ground indicates that most voters want Dr Mahathir as the next PM. (Facebook pic)

But MCA Ipoh Timur deputy division chief Tony Khoo doesn’t believe that the Chinese community, which accounts for 80% of voters in Ipoh Timur, are quite ready to accept the former Umno leaders in PPBM.

It is for this reason, as well as voter disillusion with the opposition and BN’s ability to debunk “fake news” levelled against the government, that they will be able to put up a better fight against the DAP than before.

Khoo acknowledged that while BN leaders were working hard on the ground to serve the people, most voters, as evidenced in the last two elections, voted for parties and not candidates.

“I hope that this time around, the voters will take into consideration a YB’s ability to serve. When Lim Kit Siang was Ipoh Timur MP, he was hardly around.”

Khoo added that he hoped after two terms of DAP representation in Ipoh Timur, the people would realise the party couldn’t bring development and that the way forward was for greater representation in the government. -FMT