In Kuala Langat, 1,000 brave rain to hear PAS leaders speak

GE 15 | On a cold, gloomy night in Kg Kanchong Darat, a thousand-strong crowd braved the torrential rain to see PAS representatives who had travelled there to meet them.

The villagers welcomed the presence of Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) candidate for Kuala Langat Ahmad Yunus Hairi and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang in a ceramah last night, supported by PN elections director Azmin Ali and Bersatu bigwig Rina Harun.

While some donned PN shirts and used party umbrellas to fend off the rain, many spectators were non-partisan residents, who were curious to hear the words of the coalition’s leaders from PAS.

In his speech, Azmin lambasted the candidate line-ups of their rivals, who speak of clean politics and the reform agenda.

"They talk about being clean and about reforms, but just look at the candidates from Umno and BN.

"Some are going back and forth from the court, some are embroiled in corruption and abuse of power, but none of them is shy about submitting their nomination forms as candidates," Azmin, the incumbent Gombak MP, declared in his speech.

This was said in reference to some Umno leaders who are battling charges in court and yet were still fielded in this 15th general election, including Umno president and BN chairperson Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

The Bersatu man also commented that a number of candidates from Pakatan Harapan were similarly embroiled in ongoing court cases.

"They have not held back in submitting their nomination papers either," added Azmin.

In contrast, he said, PN’s candidates have never faced charges of abuse of power in court, adding that it should be used as a guideline for voters on the fence.

PAS diehard supporters

Kuala Langat is a semi-urban seat of mixed ethnicity and it encompasses Banting town, Morib, Jugra and Pulau Carey. In 2018, Malay constituents made up the majority at 57 percent.

The seat was last won by PKR’s now-defected MP Dr Xavier Jeyakumar with a 17,112-strong majority over his two opponents in PAS and BN. Xavier defected to Bersatu.

In 2018, PAS came third in the race, but observations on the ground indicated that  Yunus, who is from PAS, may be able to come up tops on Nov 19, under the PN banner.

Famed for being the birthplace of badminton heroes, the Sidek brothers, Kampung Kanchong Darat is about a 10-minute drive from the centre of Banting town.

Speaking to Malaysiakini on the sidelines of the ceramah, a Banting native and civil servant who only wanted to be known as Hamidi and his wife, both in their mid-40s, said they have always supported the Islamic party.

“Core issues here (in Kg Kanchong Darat)? Integrity. We need leaders with integrity. We still see people like (former PM) Najib (Abdul Razak) who are going in and out of prison. That is not right.

“All of the issues in our country can be linked back to integrity,” Hamidi said, adding that he is unable to support such unsavoury characters.

Asked what he would do in the hypothetical event that PAS is revealed to be corrupt, he said that it would depend on the actions of the party leaders.

“If they are willing to say that they did the crime, I will look in my heart to forgive them. Some politicians have committed crimes but are still not willing to say that they are wrong,” Hamidi said.

He and his wife also admitted that they knew little about Bersatu’s Azmin and declined to comment on the man’s reputation.

Instead, they said that they were attending the event to get a closer glimpse of the PAS president and Selangor state exco Yunus - who may be their future MP - adding that they would have brought their children if it had not been raining. 

Family affair

A school caterer in her 60s - who wished to be anonymous - said that she tries to go for all ceramah sessions held by PAS in the area.

Although originating from Perak, the grandmother of seven said that she moved to the village following her marriage to a local man some 30 years ago.

She was among many attendees in the crowd who had brought their children and grandchildren with them, despite the pouring rain.

“My children are all in their 30s. My grandchildren, look at them, they all enjoy this kind of ceramah and functions. They can understand what is going on…

“This YB (Yunus Hairi) is good. Before the event, he came to meet the locals and he spoke to us.

“We must have reps like him. He is not arrogant,” said the school caterer, adding that she saw him drive a beat-up Honda car on the way in.

This picture of humility and narrative of integrity pushed by Azmin clashes with the ‘pengkhianat’ (traitor) labels often branded onto PN by its rivals.

They are deemed so as the coalition was formed partly by MPs who left Pakatan Harapan, thereby toppling the 22-month-old government in February 2020.

At least on this rainy night, at this event at the birthplace of national heroes, the message of integrity is drowning out the claims of treachery.

But whether they are preaching to the choir, and if this can carry Yunus ahead of his five opponents, remains to be seen.

Yunus is facing a six-cornered fight against BN’s Mohana Muniandy Rama, Harapan’s Manivanan Gowin, Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah from Pejuang, Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s M Ganeskumar and independent candidate Zanariah Jumhuri.

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