Arul: Kampung Papan residents cheered DAP's Sabah polls defeat

PSM deputy chairperson S Arutchelvan said he was surprised to find residents of Kampung Papan - where 29 families had been evicted just two weeks earlier - in high spirits during his visit on Nov 30, the day after the Sabah election.

“The mood among the residents was surprisingly cheerful. Not because they were glad to see me, but because they were uncharacteristically celebrating the defeat of DAP in Sabah,” he said, referring to the party’s loss in all eight seats it contested in the state polls.

Arutchelvan said Kampung Papan has long been a hardcore DAP stronghold in Pandamaran, Klang, Selangor, where the party, its assemblypersons, and MPs have won every election in recent times hands down.

Since its defeat in Sabah, DAP - criticised by opponents for losing its voice in the Madani administration - has shifted gears, pledging to push for reforms within six months while its leaders are quick to speak out on issues of public concern.

Amid this transformation, Arutchelvan said he could not help but wonder whether the fate of Kampung Papan might have been different had the Sabah polls taken place before the Nov 10–14 eviction.

“DAP’s top leaders and members would surely have descended in droves to defend this majority-Chinese village. I am convinced figures like (DAP secretary-general) Anthony Loke and (chairperson) Gobind Singh Deo would have pressured Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari to stop the eviction from happening at all.

“It seems they had tried, but there appeared to be a lack of enthusiasm and effort. The political will, the urgency to halt this blatant human rights violation, was simply not there,” he added.

In the days leading up to the eviction, Arutchelvan said he had repeatedly warned several DAP leaders that failing to help the Kampung Papan residents would damage Pakatan Harapan’s standing in Selangor.

“Already, in the last state election, Harapan lost its two-thirds majority. Nationwide, Indian support for the ruling coalition has been lukewarm, while Chinese voters have remained loyal, but that loyalty cannot be taken for granted,” he added.

Pointing fingers

According to the PSM leader, a “troubling trend” of finger-pointing - rooted in racial dynamics within the Harapan coalition itself - had emerged in the weeks leading up to the bulldozers’ arrival.

“Watching all this bickering, one must ask: do they (Harapan) deserve another term?” he added.

Aside from Pandamaran assemblyperson Tony Leong, Arutchelvan claimed there was no serious involvement from DAP leaders to stop the eviction.

“No visible sympathy, no real empathy. It makes you wonder - if only it had been the post-Sabah-election version of DAP, maybe we would have finally seen the political will of the DAP to stand with the settlers,” he added.

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