KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — While Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Seri Jamal Yunos and his Sekinchan “campaign” have certainly grabbed everyone’s attention, voters there only have one thing on their minds though — the cost of living.
Sekinchan, a Selangor seat known for its padi fields, fishing and tourism, gives off a friendly vibe and a sense of a tight-knit community.
Many whom Malay Mail spoke to were guarded, however, when it came to answering questions of whether they vote based on candidates or parties, or what they look for in a candidate.
But whether they lean more towards BN or the federal opposition Pakatan Harapan (PH), the number one thing and virtually the only issue Sekinchan voters are concerned about is the economy.
Pua Yan Tat, 58, who has been a paddy farmer for 10 years and harvests every six months, said Sekinchan farmers have suffered from bad weather and crop disease for the past two years.
“It’s like gambling for a lot of people, planting paddy is like a gamble. If the government gives more subsidies, the planters will be happy,” he said.
Pua said the situation was so bad that both the BN federal government and the PH Selangor government had to step in with a one-off subsidy, adding that he received a total of RM1,500. “It will be even better if there are three governments. If we have any problems, they help financially so our burden won’t be so great.”
As to how he will vote on May 9, he said: “I choose based on candidate. The one who doesn’t work, I won’t choose him. All this while I choose the person, not the party, because the party has nothing to do with me. I choose the one who can help do things.”
His fellow paddy farmers, 53-year-old Kee and 65-year-old Low, who are both MCA members, said they choose the candidate over the party when voting. Kee said he wants someone who can serve the public.
MCA’s first-time candidate Lee Yee Yuan told Malay Mail that he will be banking on his service to local residents to win a tough three-corner fight against three-term DAP incumbent Ng Suee Lim and PAS’s Mohd Fadzin Taslimin.
Misdin, a 61-year-old mechanic, lamented about how hard it is to make a living with rising prices and stated his preference for the Sekinchan-born BN candidate Lee despite not remembering his name.
“Since last time I have been supporting BN, since last time I have never supported any other party,” he told Malay Mail, claiming that the federal opposition had not done much after three terms in Sekinchan and that the development there was due to BN’s efforts.
Misdin said he liked Lee who he remembers as a young candidate who graduated from Australia, adding that he liked the young man for being soft-spoken and the way he laughs.
A 40-year-old hawker who gave his name as Was said business in Sekinchan had slowed as customers tighten their belts, noting that the situation here was unlike Penang or Singapore where either a strong currency or higher wages would be able to match pricier goods.
Saying that his earnings from his 7am to 6pm business have since halved, the father of four said it was harder to sustain his family.
Was indicated that voting would not change his or the public’s lives much, saying: “If you raise this candidate up, it’s the same. If you raise that candidate up, it’s the same. What is the difference to us? The one who will have it easy is the rich.”
Money is everything… and yet it is not
In a small town like Sekinchan where news travels fast and everyone seems to know everyone, Jamal’s flashy campaigns for BN in Sungai Besar have not gone unnoticed.
In fact, Jamal’s concerts featuring lucky draws and also Thursday morning’s campaign of BN stickers on vehicles in exchange for cash are quite the talk of the town.
Second-time voter Tee, 32, said he attended both the Monday concert to participate in the lucky draw — where one has to provide their name, identity card number and phone number — and the PH ceramah held nearby on the same night.
Tee said he will be voting based on the political party, but also credited DAP’s Ng with helping to promote Sekinchan from an unknown town to a tourist attraction with international-level programmes, noting that the town at its peak a few years ago had fully-booked hotels and restaurants.
A 61-year-old ethnic Chinese lorry driver and farmer expressed worry that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) would go up if BN is voted in and said: “I tell you, everyone will go for the lucky draw, there’s prize. Who we vote for, nobody knows.”
Heng, 71, said she received RM10 when she happened to bump into the cash-for-sticker campaign on Thursday morning outside the Sekinchan market.
When met on the same day later in the evening, Heng showed Malay Mail the sticker — featuring an X next to a BN logo — she had already removed from her motorcycle. She vaguely said she would vote for whoever provides assistance.
Bao Bao, 33, a mother of three young children, said she had not bothered to register for GE 2013 as she believed that an additional vote would not matter much against alleged “dirty” electoral tactics.
But she decided to register last year as a voter, on the back of the GST and the economic pinch.
“This time I will vote, hope to help, hope that there can be a change. Just change for five years, if they are not capable, then give it back to you. You were already doing it for 60 years, let others have a chance.
“If you are good, people won’t go against you, you don’t have to have such publicity, you don’t have to go around giving out money, people will also vote for you,” said the first-time voter, who is not a member of any political party.
She was dismissive about the one-off BN giveaways during the campaign period, saying: “How much you give us, later you take back through tax, isn’t it the same? Yes, the money in our bank accounts and pockets did not reduce, but what about our tax, what money are you using?”
Jamal has told Malay Mail, however, that all of BN’s campaign activities and programmes in the Sungai Besar parliamentary seat — which also encompasses the state seats of Sekinchan and Sungai Panjang — are funded by sponsorship through collections from the public.
Wong, 48, who has two children, said that the “sweets” given out to voters during elections only have a temporary effect and will soon be forgotten, noting that it is post-elections where people will grumble about how costly things are every time they pay.
“The people’s burden is getting heavier and heavier, so no matter Pakatan Harapan government or BN government, they try their best to reduce the burden... Now for citizens, if you can help me, I will support you, they don’t care who you are,” he said.
“Frankly what people want is a good person, I can’t say who is a good person, in their hearts they already have someone who they feel is a good person. Now no matter how many advertisements, in their hearts, they want a good person who can do work,” he said.
There are 18,101 registered voters in Sekinchan, with the Chinese being the majority at 53.02 per cent and Malays at 43.79 per cent.
