GE15 | At this exact time two years ago, all eyes were on Tanjung Piai where Pakatan Harapan was in a desperate bid to retain the seat in a by-election, which it ultimately lost by a wide margin on Nov 13, 2019, setting off a chain of events culminating in the Sheraton Move that would come four months later.
Now the parliament seat that extends to the southernmost tip of the Asian mainland is back at the polls, and any chances for opponents to tip the scale against BN incumbent Wee Jeck Seng’s home turf advantage lies in the hands of voters residing outside the area.
With a total 70,678 voters, Election Commission (EC) data reveals that close to half or 33,284 are aged below 40, of which 4,131 (5.8 percent) are youths between the ages of 18 and 20 who will be casting their ballots for the first time.
Vying for their votes are political “outsiders”, Muda’s Lim Wei Jiet and Perikatan Nasional’s Najwah Alimah Ab Alim.
As a new face in the area, Lim had spent considerable time in the first week of campaigning to introduce himself on social media and through more conventional walkabout campaigns.
Najwah’s official Facebook page, meanwhile, promoted videos of her charity work around Pekan Nenas and how she would continue the efforts if elected as MP.
Wee, on the other hand, said he would continue his work among local communities which he had started long before the elections - traversing Malay villages tucked within palm oil groves, mixed People’s Housing Project (PPR) and Chinese-majority fishing settlements across two state seats in Tanjung Piai.
“All this while we have been working hard. Even on ordinary days, not just because of the elections. This is part of an MP’s responsibility.
“We (BN) have done many programmes to help the people, and we don’t want to speculate on our chances (of winning).
“What is important is that we continue to reach out to voters, that is our way,” said the MCA Tanjung Piai division chief after a walkabout at Kampung Nelayan Air Masin and Kampung Kukup Laut on Day Five of campaigning.
For close to two hours Wee and his machinery knocked on doors in the two areas known as a local seafood producer and tourist attraction, where he is most remembered by the older residents for resolving their land permit issue, although their homes, connected by a maze of wooden piers and narrow tarred roads, are built on concrete beams above water.
Villagers on bicycles, motorcycles and motorised three-wheelers stopped in their tracks to greet Wee, Pekan Nenas assemblyperson Tan Eng Meng and the MCA machinery.
“In politics, if you want to contest an area, you must first serve the area. That is how people should know you,” noted Tan, in between Wee’s home visits, commenting on Lim’s move to Tanjung Piai after losing in the Tenang seat last March.
Beyond sharing his candidacy number printed on campaign flyers, it was apparent that many met by Wee, including at several dining establishments outside the two villages, are familiar with his presence.
The sentiment could be seen among both Chinese and Malay voters, the latter seeking the opportunity to directly seek Wee’s help.
Two Malay women whom Wee met at a food court had inquired for assistance to upgrade their neighbourhood’s netball court, while another sought assistance to cancel a fine to replace her daughter’s lost MyKad.
Such local sentiments will likely be a major boon for Wee.
The latest voter data sighted by Malaysiakini indicated that Malays make up 59 percent of voters in Tanjung Piai. Past election results indicate that the majority of Malays in the constituency are still pro-BN.
Meanwhile, Malay, Chinese, and Indian voters aged 55 and above - those most likely to live in the constituency and have more frequent dealings with the incumbent - are 26.6 percent of the local electorate.
“Wee is popular here but he lost in GE14 because many people are angry at BN. Many young people were angry, but us older people remember what he has done here,” said a shopkeeper who wishes to be only known as Chan.
“That's why he won again (in 2019) and I think he can win again this time.
“Whenever we have a problem, we can ask him for help. If he's not here, his people will come,” Chan added.
In the six-cornered 2019 by-election, an analysis of the outcome had shown that Harapan's candidate Karmaine Sardini was drowned by a wave of protest votes across racial lines, with a substantial number of Malays and Chinese shifting towards BN.
Harapan lost in all 27 polling districts and performed worse in Chinese-majority areas, compared to GE14 a year prior.
The turnout in all Chinese-majority polling districts in the by-election was also lower than the overall average of 74.5 percent, suggesting that many stayed home while outstation voters did not return.
Leading up to polling day on Nov 19, 31-year-old delivery rider Hafiz Azman said he expected more of his former school friends to return home and vote.
“Youths nowadays are more aware of the importance of voting.
“We will be voting at our old school. A majority of my friends are coming home, it will be like during ‘Hari Raya’,” said Hafiz when met while waiting for the nearby villagers to collect their packages.
It is with this demographic that the BN incumbent is struggling the most.
Wee conceded he faced a real challenge to attract the support of new and younger voters whom he could not meet until they returned to the area.
“That was why I said, I cannot speculate (on his chances). Most important is the 19th (polling day).
“We came here today to meet all the voters here, including appealing to them so they can inform their children, upon their return, to also support us,” said Wee
“I see all my opponents as a challenge. No matter who is the candidate, we will put up a healthy fight.
“Again, as I said, we must work hard. We can’t predict the outcome, so let's not speculate,” he said when asked whether Lim, as a young candidate from a mostly youth-based party, could pose a new threat against BN.
From the get-go, Lim had relied heavily on a social media campaign, including recording a video with Johor Amanah leader Mazlan Aliman who previously criticised his own party leadership over Muda’s candidacy.
On the ground, a member of Muda’s campaign machinery told Malaysiakini that Lim’s initial programmes in Kukup - Tanjung Piai’s other state seat - have been focused on public areas, including a kopitiam session featuring PKR’s Maria Chin Abdullah, while door-to-door sessions at the villages were scheduled to start on Friday.
However, unlike Wee, Lim has been mostly assisted by Muda’s team from Kuala Lumpur and other parts of Johor, as well as a team of PKR supporters mobilised by outgoing Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, who is not defending her seat.
Maria herself was spotted in Tanjung Piai to personally support Lim, a move said to be returning a favour when the 31-year-old lawyer had previously represented cases linked to the Bersih movement that she once led.
At the start of his campaign, Lim announced his three main focuses for Tanjung Piai - developing the area as a working hub for youths, improving care facilities for senior citizens and seeking more subsidies for local farmers and fisherfolk.
During a walkabout near the international ferry terminal in Kukup on Thursday, Lim also enlisted former DAP Pekan Nenas assemblyperson Yeo Tung Siong to introduce him but they were mostly met with mild curiosity and polite nods from among the older citizens.
With older voters likely not on his side, Lim’s fate rests largely on youths and outstation voters
However, relying on this alone is a risky gambit.
While there are about 27,000 more voters in Tanjung Piai now compared to 2018, there is no telling how many of them were interested in the electoral process, many of whom ended up on the electoral roll due to automatic voter registration. - Mkini
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