PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is leaving Port Dickson to contest in Tambun.
DAP’s Gobind Singh Deo will be contesting in Damansara after serving Puchong, while Barisan Nasional’s Khairy Jamaluddin will see action in Sungai Buloh, instead of defending his Rembau seat ahead of the 15th general election in Malaysia.
These are just some of the “parachute candidates” who will be winning new hearts, en route to assisting their party to clinch spots in the Dewan Rakyat.
A retired air force colonel who will be voting in Port Dickson admitted he wouldn’t mind Anwar staying put in Port Dickson instead of contesting in Tambun.
“When Anwar was here, it was more of a period of consolidation for the locals. The regime before Pakatan Harapan, was kelam kabut,” said Darby Awin, 73, who stays in Teluk Kemang.
“There were many abandoned buildings but among the main grouses back then was that many public beaches had been sold to institutions like Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), among others.
He was referring to Seri Suasana DBKL, a holiday resort for City Hall’s personnel, located in Teluk Kemang.
“It would be better if they (the institutions) remained in Kuala Lumpur instead of buying beachfront properties here. This leaves the public and visitors with limited stretches of public beaches.”
When asked if he wished Anwar had stayed put instead of leaving for Tambun, Darby said: “I wouldn’t mind if he stayed here. As the saying goes, better the devil you know, than the devil you don’t.”
Asked what he hoped from the candidates who will be contesting in Port Dickson, Darby said: “Don’t stir things up. Port Dickson people are simple people who lead simple lives.”
Another Port Dickson voter, M. Manogaran, who hails from Taman Sri Lukut, shared a different view about Anwar.
“I remember him giving out some stuff when he first became an MP. I’ve only seen him (in town) once,” said Manogaran, 49, who works as a cleaner.
“I’ve not heard or seen him since.”
Retired teacher Rita Marie Roche, 63, who will be voting in Port Dickson, said Anwar was often in town.
“Even though he was busy with other things, he made it a point to come to town. Probably we will miss him,” Rita added.
As for Ahirul Ahirudin, he would prefer seeing Gobind staying put in Puchong instead of contesting in Damansara.
“I will miss Gobind for sure. If he was standing in Puchong, I would not need to do any research and would know who to vote for,” said Ahirul, a 27-year-old marketing executive, who will be voting for the second time.
“But since there are new faces (standing in Puchong), I have to do some research on them.
“Parachute candidates are part and parcel of politics. I may not like it, but it is what it is. Also, this is for a parliamentary seat, so we need to gauge one’s capabilities in Parliament,” he added.
A Tambun native, who only wanted to be identified as Faisal, isn’t too stoked about having an “outsider” representing his community.
“I’m considered a young voter but I may be a little traditional in my thinking. I would prefer our representative in Parliament to be someone from Tambun, or has strong family ties in Tambun,” the 28-year-old entrepreneur said.
“I’ve seen Peja (as Tambun incumbent MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu is popularly known) around. He has carried out some work here. We’ve seen some sporting and youth-related activities being held here, too. Furthermore, he is the former Perak menteri besar, so he knows the needs of the locals.
“It looks like Tambun is going to be an exciting battlefield for GE15. Regardless of who wins the election, I hope it’s the voters who will be the real winners.”
Kamarul Azmi, who will be voting in Tambun, said Anwar was free to contest anywhere in the country.
“I look at the candidate, and not the party. I want someone who works and to me, Peja has done some work here,” said the entrepreneur.
“It’s not about the possible position the candidate will get once they win. What’s the point of having a representative who will go missing after winning the election?
“I prefer a local to represent Tambun. And the local must be willing to work and be there for the people in Tambun.”
Writer Jaspal Singh, who will also be voting in Tambun, admitted he was against parachute candidates in the past.
“But in today’s scenario, if the candidate helps the coalition, then the idea of a parachute candidate becomes important,” said Jaspal, 51.
“Many are looking at Peja and Anwar but let’s not forget BN’s candidate, Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah, who has also been doing the groundwork for years.
“If Peja wins again, he can silence his critics … that his win in 2018 wasn’t a fluke and it wasn’t due to the fact that he contested under the Pakatan Harapan banner.”
Jaspal highlighted that Ahmad Faizal had helped many small business owners in Tambun, but there were those who may not favour him because of what Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia did, in ditching Pakatan Harapan and forming Perikatan Nasional after the 2018 elections.
“I know some people are labelling Anwar as a parachute candidate, an outsider. It is, without doubt, an issue for some, but a non-issue for others. All this will change as people make up their minds closer to the election.
“It boils down to what happens on Nov 19,” he added.
