It is a four-horse race for the Tambun parliamentary seat, located in the northern state of Perak, in the upcoming 15th General Election in Malaysia.
But as far as the Indian voters there are concerned, the choice is either incumbent Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu of Perikatan Nasional (PN) or Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Some remember the aid given out by Ahmad Faizal, who was the former Perak menteri besar at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Popularly known as Peja among the locals, Ahmad Faizal and his team gave out food and basic necessities as the country imposed various lockdowns to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Others, however, are leaning more towards Anwar, with the hope that he could very well be Malaysia’s 10th prime minister, should his coalition emerge victorious in the election.
Anwar is among the three leaders who have been named as prime minister-candidates by the respective coalitions. Barisan Nasional (BN) named Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob as its PM-candidate, while PN’s choice is Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
As for the Tambun parliamentary seat, the other two contenders are BN’s Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah, and Abdul Rahim Tahir of Pejuang.
“I will vote for Peja as he has done a lot for the state,” said S. Prema, a 47-year-old businesswoman who runs a tyre shop in Ipoh.
“However, I think people may have forgotten some of his contributions. Perhaps, he should remind more people of his efforts.”
Prema said all she wants is a government that will provide a better future for her four children.
Housewife M. Puspha, however, is torn between Ahmad Faizal and Anwar.
“Faizal is a generous person. However, Anwar is also popular. I am undecided about whom to vote for on Nov 19,” said Puspha, who lives in the constituency.
“If Anwar wins, he may go on to be prime minister. But I will only decide whom to vote for on Saturday morning.”
Political analyst Datuk B. Anbumani, on Nov 7, pointed out that Indian votes have, for a long time, been regarded as BN’s vote bank during elections in Malaysia.
He told Twentytwo13 that several politicians were already saying that the Indians were going to be the kingmakers again this time around, including in Tambun.
Real estate agent A. Kartigesu, 43, said whichever coalition forms the next government must look into the nation’s economy.
“The property market is so soft. Last month, I only managed to sell one property out of 10 listings,” said Kartigesu, from Taman Klebang Jaya.
“All we ask for is the ability to put food on the table and for our children to have a good education. It’s not that much, actually.”
S. Siva, 40, a sound and audio technician from Kuala Kangsar who was in Klebang over the weekend, said he wished Ahmad Faizal was a candidate in his hometown.
“I have heard so much about Ahmad Faizal’s work in Tambun.
“I wish we had someone like him in Kuala Kangsar, not because of politics, but because of the work he has put in,” said Siva.
“I’ll be voting in Kuala Kangsar but I’m still undecided.”
For P. Parvathi, 48, her vote will go to the candidate who can promise better security around Taman Klebang Ria. The mother of three said residents were afraid to leave their homes at night.
“We do not feel safe standing outside our houses as there are many snatch thefts. We hope there will be more police patrols in our area,” said the factory worker.
Like many in her area, Parvathi said she heard of Ahmad Faizal’s contributions in helping the needy, but had only recently, met him.
In the last general election, Ahmad Faizal (polling 38,661 votes) defeated incumbent Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Mohamad Hanadziah of BN (33,341) and Pas’ Datuk Muhamad Zulkifli Mohamad Zakaria (14,948).
Anwar, meanwhile, moved from his safe seat in Port Dickson, south of Kuala Lumpur, to contest in Tambun.
In the 2018 Port Dickson by-election, Anwar secured a majority of 23,560 votes, compared to the 17,710 votes obtained by Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah, who vacated the seat on Sept 12 of the same year, to allow Anwar to return to Parliament.
