Located about 90km northwest of Kuala Lumpur, the rural parliamentary constituency of Tanjong Karang sees occasional tourists stopping by to sample its seafood.
However, many more tourists would drive further north to the popular tourist area Sekinchan.
In political terms, Tanjong Karang has a predominantly Malay electorate – not just one that is a stronghold for Umno and BN, but also where Selangor Umno chairperson Noh Omar has deep roots.
During the 14th general election, Tanjong Karang was only one of two parliamentary seats in Selangor that BN managed to win, the other being Sabak Bernam.
Once the incumbent Sabak Bernam MP Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh jumped ship to Bersatu, Tanjong Karang became BN’s last holding in Selangor until Parliament was dissolved.
Noh was first elected Tanjong Karang MP in 1995 and has since continued to hold the post, even withstanding strong anti-BN sentiments in 2018 that swept Pakatan Harapan into power.
It was clear to BN and Umno that Noh holds tremendous influence in the area.
Against this backdrop and while battling the perception of being “anti-Malay”, DAP is looking to contest in several Malay-majority seats such as Gerik in Perak, Lipis in Pahang, and Tanjong Karang.
However, negotiations are also underway for DAP to step aside for Muda to contest instead.
Despite Noh’s influence in Tanjong Karang, the margin of his electoral victories has been wearing thin over his six terms in office. In 2018, for example, his majority was only 1,976 votes or 4.86 percent of the ballots cast.
Most of Tanjong Karang’s electorate (74.67 percent) are Malay, followed by Chinese (15.96 percent) and Indian voters (8.94 percent).
Harapan had allocated the seat to Bersatu during GE14, but following its exit from the coalition in 2020, Bersatu’s seats were reallocated to other Harapan component parties.
The Tanjong Karang seat was allocated to DAP, but the party is negotiating with Muda to decide who will contest in the upcoming election.
When asked, Selangor DAP secretary Ng Sze Han confirmed that DAP may contest the seat, depending on the negotiations’ outcome.
He believes negotiations will be concluded within one or two days.
Meanwhile, DAP is holding a fundraising dinner in Kelana Jaya tomorrow where it will announce its election candidates in Selangor.
Asked whether the Tanjong Karang candidate will be part of the announcement, he said it depends on whether the negotiations could be concluded before the event.
Meanwhile, Selangor Muda information chief R Siva Prakash told Malaysiakini that the youth party is looking to field its candidate in Tanjong Karang and the ongoing negotiation is “very positive”.
Suee Lim’s edge in Tanjong Karang
Although the negotiations have yet to be finalised, it is believed that if DAP gets the seat, its Sekinchan assemblyperson Ng Suee Lim is most likely to be fielded as its candidate.
Suee Lim is the Selangor assembly speaker and Selangor DAP vice chairperson. He has held the Sekinchan seat since 2004 and developed it into a national tourist attraction.
Sekinchan is a state constituency within the Sungai Besar parliamentary constituency, which is adjacent to Tanjong Karang.
Suee Lim and DAP have built up their reputation and influence in the area and Sekinchan has become a pillar of his strength.
In addition, Suee Lim speaks fluent Javanese and is very popular among the Javanese Malay community. He was even described as “YB Jawa Sekinchan”.
It appears that Suee Lim and DAP have been laying the groundwork to crack BN’s final bastion in Selangor.
Since April 2021, Suee Lim has been actively posting his activities in Tanjong Karang on social media, including handing out masks and food at a Ramadan bazaar.
Suee Lim even set up an MP coordinator’s office in Tanjong Karang town. A staff member of the office told Malaysiakini it was established in July 2021 to handle complaints on local issues.
Will DAP yield to Muda?
However, when speaking to Malaysiakini after attending a Deepavali celebration in Tanjong Karang on Sunday, Suee Lim seemed reluctant to contest.
Instead, he hinted that his party could give way to Muda.
“Umno has deep roots in Tanjong Karang, but even an old tree will fall.
“Rumours say that I might contest, but the latest rumour says Muda is negotiating with Harapan and hoping they can contest in the Malay rural seat.
“These rumours exist. We will let the party leadership decide.”
Suee Lim said Tanjong Karang is considered a “hot seat”. If a young candidate is fielded to challenge Noh, he believes it will receive more attention.
When asked about his odds of contesting Tanjong Karang, Suee Lim said it is “not high”.
On Muda contesting, he said: “There is a possibility because they don’t have any seats in Selangor.”
Suee Lim expressed concern that if he wins the Tanjong Karang seat, BN could claim that “DAP is controlling Malay seats and the Malays”.
When asked today about the progress of negotiations, Suee Lim told Malaysiakini via text message that the talks are still ongoing and Muda seems likely to run for the seat.
Grassroots want Suee Lim
Although Suee Lim is not keen, some Harapan supporters are demanding that he is fielded instead of a Muda candidate.
A shop owner in Kampung Ulu Tiram Buruk, who gave his name as Chong, said Suee Lim is well received by the Malay community and has been servicing the area.
The DAP member said it will be interesting to see Suee Lim going up against Noh.
“I hope Suee Lim will contest. Only he stands a chance to win this seat, Muda won’t have a chance.
“In these rural areas, connections with the people are very important, unlike in urban or more educated areas.
“Furthermore, Noh is at the ministerial level and he wasn’t defeated in the last election. But now, sending a candidate from Muda who we can’t recognise, how to fight?” the 64-year-old said.
Meanwhile, a homemaker known as Woon said she will certainly vote for Harapan if Suee Lim contests.
However, if Harapan is going to send a fresh face, she said she will be hesitant.
“(I will) wait and see. After all, we know nothing about them. We are afraid that they might not provide services after they win,” she added. - Mkini
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