ON ‘KAJANG MOVE’, VOTERS CLUCK IN DISAPPROVAL

Despite support from one Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner, DAP, Anwar and his party have since come under intense criticism from their other PR partner, PAS, whose leaders threatened to withhold support if Anwar were to step in to replace Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, as speculated.

Joseph Sipalan, The Malay Mail Online

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.

PKR may have set out a clear strategy to install Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Kajang assemblyman but the residents of the satay town might not be so cooperative.

A sudden and unexplained resignation by state representative Lee Chin Cheh, the dramatic announcement of party chief Anwar’s candidacy, and swirling rumours of internal rivalry have left a traditionally supportive crowd short on patience.

“Just put in a spoilt vote,” one Kajang retiree told The Malay Mail Online recently.

Claiming to speak for many of his friends, Uncle Goh, as the retiree chose to identify himself, claimed to also speak for his friends at the two tables there and said they were not amused with the unexplained political developments now directly affecting the township.

Despite support from one Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partner, DAP, Anwar and his party have since come under intense criticism from their other PR partner, PAS, whose leaders threatened to withhold support if Anwar were to step in to replace Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, as speculated.

Exclamations of “How can?” were repeated almost like a broken record, as the men, mostly retirees, expressed annoyance about once again needing to line up to cast their ballots less than a year since the general election.

Similarly unaccommodating views were found at some of the satay stalls for which Kajang is famed, as most found PKR’s grand scheme to be perplexing at best.

Halim, a satay seller, shrugged and said that he could not see how the move would benefit him as a voter.

“I guess if they come campaigning, I could make some extra money. But I just don’t see the point of it,” he said while readying charcoal he uses to roast batches of skewered meats for the evening’s business.

Even the Chinese New Year festivities did not distract people for very long from discussing the Kajang contest, with both the young and old wagging a finger at PKR for costing public funds even as they took aim at the government amid rising cost of living.

“They don’t like the wastage of public funds, not when times are hard. They don’t like the arrogance,” said overseas student Lee Lian Kong, who is back for the holidays.

“One aunty even went to PAS office in Kajang to find out how she can stop PKR from winning… so they’re just either don’t vote, vote for PAS if they run, or spoil their votes,” she added.

Public relations consultant Jaya Radha Veerasamy was willing to give PKR the benefit of doubt over the political gambit, but only if the party comes clean on the reasons behind the so-called “Kajang Move”, as coined by PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli.

“We all know Anwar is not from Kajang, so him standing in Kajang does not represent his priority to the people whom he is asking the votes for but for another totally different cause.

“Perhaps the bigger picture maybe for the better, but not letting the voters know what that big picture is and expecting us to vote in the dark is very unfair,” she said.

The Election Commision yesterday set nomination for the Kajang by-election for March 11, and polling will be held 12 days later on March 23.

Lee won the Kajang state seat in Election 2013 with a 6,824-vote majority in the constituency that is 48 per cent Malay, 41 per cent Chinese and 10 per cent Indian.