K KANGSAR POLLS With two days to go until polling day, some of Kuala Kangsar’s Chinese voters still face a dilemma over choosing which party and candidate to vote for.

This follows the barrage of messages on local development, hudud and national issues - 1MDB and the RM4.2 billion controversy surrounding the premier - that they have received.

Malaysiakini interviewed 11 Chinese voters in different polling districts - Kampung Baru Jerlun, Jalan Kangsar and Manong - on their preference.

The news portal also bumped into an MCA member and a DAP member in Kampung Baru Jerlun, who admitted they were struggling to decide if they should vote according to party lines.

A DAP member who dreams of changing the government admitted he was considering voting for BN to bring development to his hometown, Kampung Baru Jerlun.

An MCA member, who said he could not tolerate corruption, was still considering if he should vote for BN.

As for the others, another two were undecided, three said they would vote for Amanah, two for BN, and one would not be voting. Another declined to reveal his political inclination.

The Chinese in Kuala Kangsar, which comprise 24 percent or 7,900 voters out of 32,949, suddenly landed in the spotlight after being described as the kingmakers of the polls.

According to a DAP source, 76.5 percent Chinese in Kuala Kangsar voted for the opposition in the 2013 general election when the tsunami of changing the government made inroads in the royal town.

This is evident when only 45.1 percent of Chinese supported PAS in the 2008 polls, which suggested that the Chinese were once BN’s hardcore supporters.

With the opposition's movement diminishing nationwide, the semi-rural Chinese voters are again up for grabs for BN.

On his first day of campaigning in Kuala Kangsar on June 10, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak promised to help an independent school, which needed RM3 million to construct an administrative building.

He also promised RM500 cash handouts to rubber tappers and smallholders.

Battling the PM, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad will make his second visit to Kuala Kangsar today, and this time he will enter Kampung Baru Jerlun, a 10-minute drive away from the Kuala Kangsar town centre.

Community hall land approved in four days

The villagers of Kampung Baru Jerlun, who had demanded a community hall for decades, suddenly had a piece of land approved within four days during the campaign period.

The Chinese were told to vote for the interests of their community and for the sake of the 6.8 million Chinese in the country.

They were told to vote against corruption at the top level, Umno’s racism and PAS’ extremism.

So, what is their choice after being showered with all the messages and development promises?

A 70-year-old Kampung Baru Jerlun MCA member, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he has yet to make up his mind which side to choose.

“My votes went to BN without fail until 2013. I opted to spoil my vote that year. I know for a fact that few MCA members voted for the opposition.

“My children will come home to vote; of course I don’t know which side they will choose,” said the rubber tapper.

“I have listened to the messages from both sides of the divide, I went to the opposition ceramah, I will be there to hear what Mahathir has to say.

“It is more interesting at the ceramah of the other side,” he added.

He felt the reports surrounding 1MDB were real, but remained conservative over the RM4.2 billion that allegedly ended up in Najib’s private accounts.

“(A leader) should not be involved in corruption,” he said when met at an MCA event that saw a turnout of some 200.

“They come for food and speeches,” he said.

The treats may be appealing to the villagers, who mostly work as rubber tappers with a monthly income of RM500 a month.

Besides MCA, Gerakan has also treated them to a buffet dinner during a Parents’ Day event, where some 200 turned up.

“Thirteen years ago, I could earn up to RM1,000 a day by harvesting 100 trees when the rubber price soared to RM5/kg,” said the MCA member.

“Now, it just plunged to RM1.90/kg. I work two hours a day and earn RM500 a month.

“I am lucky I don’t have to help my family members anymore, as all my children have graduated from university and they are now giving pocket money to me,” he said.

The MCA member was not impressed by Najib’s pledge to give rubber tappers an allocation of RM500.

“I was promised RM500 in 2014, but I didn’t get it,” he said.

The 60-year-old Kampung Baru Jerlun comprises some 400 families and over 1,000 villagers, and most of their young work outstation and abroad.

DAP member undecided between Amanah, BN

DAP member Whoon, 42, a restaurant owner in Kampung Baru Jerlun, also found himself struggling to choose between local development and national issues.

“Of course I dream of changing the government, but national issues seem too far-fetched (for us to achieve),” said the DAP member, adding that he agreed with DAP leaders' call to vote against corruption.

“Nobody has loved and cared about us for decades, suddenly we are in the limelight. A community hall was approved in four days. Don’t you think this is ironic?” he questioned.

“Our road conditions are bad, we have piped water and drainage system issues. The amenities are our basic right.

“It is like having to choose between (Hong Kong singers) Alan Tam and the late Leslie Cheung.”

However, he approved of the image of BN candidate Mastura Mohd Yazid, who wished to continue her late husband’s uncompleted mission and vision.

“I have to think properly so my vote will not be wasted,” he said.

Mastura has pledged to ensure that the Manong bridge will be built, Jalan Manong-Jalan Kangsar will be upgraded, Kuala Kangsar Hospital will be upgraded to be a specialist hospital, and that the riverside of Sungai Perak is developed as a tourism spot.

Not all responsive to DAP

The restaurant Whoon operates and the adjourning coffeeshops are a stomping ground for the villagers, who enjoy sharing their views over a cup of coffee.

After nine days of massive campaigning by BN parties, Lim Kit Siang entered the new village and held a kopitiam forum at a coffeehouse, just beside Whoon’s restaurant.

Lim told the group he wanted to see Kampung Baru Jerlun become the locomotive that would propel the opposition movement as it geared for the 14th general election.

He claimed that if BN lost both the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar seats, the opposition would have a good chance of taking over Putrajaya in the next national polls.

But from Malaysiakini's observation, not all responded positively to Lim’s message.

Several men sitting at one table angrily said that Lim’s voice was amplified too loudly, and may disrupt classes at SJK(C) Kampung Baru Jerlun.

“Does he realise how the loud hailer will affect the classes?” one of them said, pointing at the nearby school.

The group, however, declined to be interviewed.

Another man from a neighbouring table, who also seemed less impressed by Lim’s message, admitted he was a BN supporter.

“Even if we vote against BN, the opposition will not win either,” said Choo Bing Hing, 64.

Choo, who had worked in Singapore, is now a retiree.

He applauded MCA for delivering the community hall to the Kampung Baru Jerlun folk.

While admitting he would not listen to the opposition, he however hoped the leaders resolve the 1MDB fiasco and the RM4.2 billion that went into Najib’s accounts.

When asked about 1MDB and Najib's accounts, another BN supporter who wished to be known as Lee argued that even Dr Mahathir was "corrupt". 

“Most of the leaders are corrupt, Mahathir too,” he said, adding, “MCA is good, I think they are not corrupt.

“Of course, there is truth in the opposition’s message, too. But even if I vote for you, you cannot do anything (to improve Kuala Kangsar),” he said.

Phang Fong, 64, a rubber tapper, said she voted and will continue to vote for the opposition to ensure check and balance in the government.

“Two of my children, who stay here, said they are going to vote on Saturday. The other two said they are making arrangements to come home,” she said.

“Both MCA and DAP accuse each other on the hudud issue, but I want a better Malaysia,” she said.

Both Phang and her husband, also a rubber tapper, have to support their daughter who is a single mother to raise her two kids.

Prices hikes from GST a burden

She complained that the price hikes due to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) had burdened her a lot.

The DAP supporter had attended several Harapan ceramah with her sister.

“I remember how both of us almost ended up like drowned rats after a heavy downpour during one of DAP’s ceramah. But I felt this was a worthwhile experience, I just like to listen,” she said.

However, Phang’s friend Chin Ten Yan, who is unemployed, said he would not go out to vote.

“I stopped voting since my vision became impaired some 20 years ago,” he said.

He said he would not change his mind no matter how persuasive Harapan’s ceramah were, or how often BN parties harped on the hudud issue.

Despite that, Chin said he still followed political developments closely through radio broadcasts and coffeehouse chats with friends.

Meanwhile, 72-year-old Tan Chong Chuan, a BN supporter in Manong, 30 minutes away from the Kuala Kangsar town centre, said he was undecided despite being a BN supporter.

“Who can prove that he (Najib) is corrupt?” he asked, adding that he was still observing the political scenario.

“Corrupt leaders are everywhere in the world except in Hong Kong and Switzerland. (You are talking about RM2.6 billion,) but in China it involves tens of billions,” said the grocery assistant.

“Instead of looking at these issues, why not look at the development in the local community? This is more pragmatic,” he said.

Meanwhile, some of the Chinese business community and residents in the Kuala Kangsar city centre, where the politicians have been campaigning on a daily basis, said they had made up their minds but had reservations about Amanah.

‘Wish to be treated fairly’

Chew, who owns a liquor shop, said he and most of the business people disliked and would vote against BN.

“What we want is simple: we want to be treated fairly,” he said.

Chew also slammed the government for not fulfilling its promise to construct an industrial area many years ago.

“If this can be built, maybe some of the young people will stay here and work,” he said, adding that his children were working outstation.

But he was quite conservative about Amanah’s stand on hudud.

He also claimed that the Manong bridge Najib promised to them, which would link Pekan Manong to Kampung Seberang Manong, would not benefit them.

Kow Chee Keong, a 30-year-old shop assistant, also claimed he would support Amanah, partly in protest at price hikes.

“I suffer due to the GST, I have to pay higher bills for my food and other things. I hope inflation can be controlled,” he said.

Meanwhile Fu Long, 48, grocery shop owner and a BN supporter, said he was undecided on whether to vote for BN.

He said his business has been heavily impacted by the GST.

Both MCA president Liow Tiong Lai and Gerakan president Mah Siew Keong had claimed they were confident Chinese support would swing back to BN.

Gerakan second-liner leaders even sang in a carefree manner during a dinner with the small traders.

According to data provided by the Election Commission (EC), 36.86 percent of the 12,144 voters are below 40 years old.

DAP leaders have been urging outstation voters or the young generation to come home since the first day of the campaign.

It remains to be seen if the outstation voters will respond to the call.