Jaded voters in Skudai, but DAP set to win again

 

Local residents say politicians are blind to the predicament of business owners, badly affected by the pandemic and the recent floods.

SKUDAI: Voters in the Johor Bahru suburb of Skudai are frustrated and unhappy with politicians from both sides, but the seat, considered to be a DAP stronghold, looks likely to remain with the party.

Locals met by FMT said they were disappointed with politicians, whether they were from government or opposition parties. Some said they would not cast their ballot this time, while others were undecided about their choice.

A restaurant owner who only wanted to be known as Salam said businesses had been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent floods. He claimed that local politicians turned a blind eye to their predicament.

“I’m not happy with politicians from both sides. They are too busy politicking and have neglected their main responsibility, which is to serve the people,” he said.

No change after they win

Salam said he would not be voting this time. “What is the point of voting if things remain the same? Everyone promises change but once they get hold of power, nothing happens,” he told FMT.

Skudai resident Mohamad Isa criticised the timing of the state elections, saying the funds being used for the polls should have been channelled to help those affected by the pandemic.

“With the rising cost of living, putting food on the table is getting harder these days,” he lamented.

Unlike Salam, Isa said he was unsure who he would vote for, adding that it was not about the candidates contesting for the Skudai seat. “I doubt any of them can bring the change the people want.”

Another Skudai resident who wanted to only be known as Lim, hoped that the next Skudai assemblyman would not neglect the people’s concerns.

“Whoever it is, please don’t make any more empty promises,” he said.

DAP newbie vs former rep

Skudai voters have to choose between DAP newbie Marina Ibrahim hoping to retain the seat for Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional’s Khoo Kong Ek, who was Skudai assemblyman from 1999 to 2004, and Barisan Nasional’s Lim Soon Hai.

Skudai has been represented by a Chinese politician since 1995. Gerakan, then with BN, held the seat until 2008, when it lost to DAP, which has retained the seat for three terms now.

However, in those three terms, Skudai has been represented by two different assemblymen, with Dr Boo Cheng Hau serving as the elected representative for two terms before being replaced by Tan Hong Pin in 2018.

Boo contested and lost in 1999 and 2004, before wresting the seat from Gerakan in 2008.

The decision to field Tan over Boo in 2018 came with some controversy, with rumours at the time that Boo would contest as an independent, though this did not materialise.

At the current elections, there is similar tension over Marina being fielded over Tan, reportedly defused after it was agreed that Tan would be allowed to contest for a parliamentary seat in GE15.

How Skudai became a hot seat

James Chin of the University of Tasmania’s Asia Institute noted that the decision to drop Boo as a candidate in 2018 made Skudai a hot seat at the time. Similarly, the Skudai constituency drew some attention after Tan was not fielded.

But despite the sentiments of the voters FMT spoke to, Chin said DAP had the edge over BN and PN to win the seat, though it still hinged on how campaigning would go.

“Anything can happen over the next week (of campaigning). But DAP has the advantage over this seat. This seat is very important to DAP,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, a DAP source said he was aware of voters’ apathy and disappointment with government and opposition leaders, while the multi-cornered fights only made people more weary of politics.

But he believed the party still had a solid foothold in Skudai, telling FMT that the seat was “almost impossible to lose”. -FMT