JOHOR POLLS | MIC is charting its own strategy by stepping out of its comfort zone to challenge Pakatan Harapan's influence in the Johor state election.
Previously, the BN component focused largely on rural constituencies such as Kahang and Kemelah.
However, MIC has now taken a bold step by fielding a candidate in the Perling state seat, widely regarded as a Harapan bastion.
Johor MIC chairperson K Raven Kumar said the decision to relinquish the Tenggaroh state seat in exchange for Perling was a tactical move to make inroads into urban areas with a significant Indian voter population.
“Strategically, MIC wants to contest in more urban seats to better serve the community, particularly Indians," he told Malaysiakini.
Raven added that Tenggaroh, which he won in the 2022 state election before vacating the seat, had been handed over to Umno in the swap for Perling.
He had secured Tenggaroh with a 1,356-vote majority before moving to contest Kemelah, where he replaces his party colleague N Saraswati, who won the seat with a majority of 1,611 votes.
Explaining his decision to contest Kemelah, Raven said the move was particularly meaningful as the constituency is where he was born and raised.
His parents are also from the area, which he said made him the most strategically suitable candidate to secure victory.
Eye on Perling
According to Raven, MCA is the BN party that traditionally contests Perling.
Perling has become the focal point of MIC’s urban shift. The seat will see a three-cornered fight between BN candidate Pannir Selvam, Harapan's Alan Tee, and Parti Bersama Malaysia’s Boo Wei Han.
Raven acknowledged that while MIC’s decision to contest in areas near Johor Bahru was high-risk and challenging, winning Perling was not out of reach.
He added that Perling lies within a special economic corridor zone, carries significant weight, and has more than 14,000 Indian voters residing or working there.
“MIC needs to move out of its comfort zone in rural areas if it wants to be seen as the true representative of the Indian community,” he stressed.
In the previous state election, Harapan’s Liew Chin Tong won Perling with a comfortable majority of 3,347 votes, defeating BN’s Tan Hiang Kee and Perikatan Nasional’s Khoo Siaw Lee.
Raven said MIC did not want a situation similar to Johor Bahru, where many Indian voters reside, but the party contested or won no seats.
Success, he said, would depend on a well-organised party machinery capable of reaching as many voters as possible.
State polls outlook
In the 2022 state election, MIC contributed three seats; Kahang, Tenggaroh and Kemelah to BN’s two-thirds majority win, but narrowly lost Bukit Batu to Harapan by 137 votes.
This time around in Bukit Batu, which has 49,963 voters, MIC is expected to face a tough five-cornered contest.
The party is fielding its Johor secretary R Kumaran in an attempt to reclaim the seat from incumbent Arthur Chiong of PKR.
Also in the fray are Bersama’s G Tamili, M Premanand from Muda, and independent candidate Kamaruzaman Ali, who is contesting under the key symbol.
As for Kahang, a constituency with 29,814 voters, it is expected to remain a traditional MIC stronghold. The party has contested the seat since 2004 without defeat.
This time, MIC is fielding V Rugendran in a three-cornered fight against Harapan's Sabri Abd Kadir and PN’s Mazlan Bujang.
In the previous election, MIC's R Vidyananthan secured a comfortable four-term victory with a majority of 6,698 votes, defeating challengers from PN, Harapan and Pejuang.
Mission possible
Despite acknowledging the tough battles ahead in seats like Perling and Bukit Batu, Raven said MIC could still emerge victorious based on its strong track record in the state government.
He said that over the past four years, MIC had implemented various service-oriented initiatives for the Indian community in Johor, including issues related to Hindu burial grounds, temple and church land, as well as providing land for two Tamil schools.
“Through this service-based approach, we have done good work.
“We believe today’s voters are clear-minded and highly rational,” he added.
When asked about BN overall prospects in Johor, Raven stressed that the state’s strong economic performance is the most solid argument for voters- including nearly 296,000 Indian voters - to continue supporting the coalition.
“Johor is the state with the highest level of investment inflow and significant income growth. Many developments are underway and many houses are being built.
“Economically, things are doing well. Most people appreciate good governance,” he said. - Mkini
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