Campaigning began in earnest this morning for all election candidates but for one MP, the task is slightly different as he would be campaigning against an absent opponent who nevertheless looms large in national politics.

Batu

member of parliament Ng Lip Yong, has the unenviable task of going head on with Keadilan vice-president Tian Chua, one of the opposition party's most prominent leaders who has considerable mass appeal.

Fortunately for Ng though, Tian Chua is standing in two constituencies - Batu and the Kedah state seat of Lunas - and opposition ambition to wrest the northern state from Barisan Nasional control will require Tian Chua to split his time between the two areas.

This would leave Ng with fairly open ground to convince voters of what he considers the foolhardiness of voting for a no-show representative.

The Batu incumbent and Gerakan central committee member has already been highlighting this point during his meet-the-people sessions this morning.

'I love Batu' campaign

While officiating the start of a gotong-royong session at the PKNS flats along Jalan Kuching, Ng told his audience this: "You can see me anytime.You don't need to go to Lunas in Kedah to see me".

Already evident is Ng's focus on addressing very localised issues - the traffic jams, clogged drains and squatter problems which dog most constituencies in the capital city. This contrasts sharply with Tian Chua's focus on national level issues.

"I don't think it is only the DBKL's job to take care of the area but it is also the responsibility of the MP," he said just after handing out spades, rakes and brooms to residents participating in the gotong-royong .

Ng, naturally, has reasons to be confident of retaining his seat. Batu's location bordering the northern heart of the city has ensured that it received a fair share of the development budget.

Major highways criss-crossed the area, various low-cost housing projects have been taken and even the perennial sore point, the Jalan Kuching toll, has been terminated.

To cap it all, Ng has also launched a commendable "I love Batu" campaign to improve the image of his constituency, which for historic reasons had been associated with shady activities.

"We want to change the image of the area. As you know, the Sentul area particularly, has been associated with gangsterism. We want people to be proud of being from Batu," he said.

Eroded support

By contrast, Tian Chua's outlook is more focused on championing national issues which his party is known for - issues of reform and social justice.

When interviewed a week ago, Tian Chua was emphatic in saying that there should be no division between national and local issues.

"We cannot approach it that being an MP is to be in service to the people to resolve their (daily) problems. We have to address it structurally. We have to raise issues and campaign for them.

"It is not effective for the MP to work only as a kind of town councillor. It would tie him down from attending to policy change. It is time to put the two together," he said.

Although Tian Chua's tight schedule could affect his chances in the end, Ng knows better than to underestimate his opponent.

Comparing the two, Tian Chua is without doubt the more dynamic figure. An experienced and confident orator, he is able to rouse the crowd. Ng, a soft-spoken communications engineer, is clearly no match in this area.

A mixed constituency of 41 percent Malays, 41 percent Chinese and 16 percent Indians, Batu has been a Gerakan stronghold for years thanks to the late Alex Lee, a popular MP and highly respected party pillar.

"The work that Alex Lee has done can ensure that Gerakan will retain the seat for years to come," said one observer.

Still, it was worrying for the party when its majority fell considerably between the last two general elections.

In 1995, Gerakan's Joseph Chong had won the seat with a whopping 14,842 majority. Ng, who took over the seat in 1999, beat then Parti Rakyat Malaysia vice-president Dr Sanusi Osman by just over 2,000 votes.

Army votes

Although the reformasi fervour of 1999 has subsided considerably, Tian Chua, a former Internal Security Act detainee, is a walking reminder of those times.

Ng himself pointed out that Tian Chua had "visited the Malays areas" when the Keadilan leader was in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week.

Indeed, when contacted this afternoon, Tian Chua said he is scheduled to give a ceramah this evening at Kampung Dato' Senu, in Sentul, a pre-dominantly Malay area.

As for the Chinese community, Tian Chua appeal to the grassroots level could be palpable due to his Chinese-educated background and social activism. Certainly, Tian Chua is likely to be a more attractive alternative compared to Sanusi, who challenged Ng previously.

In the end, the deciding votes would probably still come from the military camps located in the northern end of the constituency.

Ng is due to visit the Batu Kantomen military installation within the next few days to garner support from voters based in the camp.

"We have to look after the military people. They have been facing shortage of accommodation. Since 3,120 low-cost flats have been constructed nearby, I have asked the mayor to give at least one block to the armed forces," he said.

If all goes according to plan, Ng is likely to retain his constituency but whether he will bring Batu back to its former position as unshakeable ground for Gerakan, is a more contentious matter.