New candidates entrusted to gain unlikely ground for Barisan Nasional in Penang
Penang Barisan Nasional is fielding 60 per cent fresh faces in Malaysia's general election. (Photo: Jack Board)
GEORGETOWN, Penang: In challenging times, turn to a trusted hand. It could be a theme of Malaysia’s general election, defined by the revival of political giants of the past, no tale less dramatic than that of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad at 92 years of age.
But in the state of Penang, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is taking a different approach.
Candidates with little to zero political experience have been rolled out.
They are the "anak dara", the political virgins tasked with doing what appears to be an impossible task in Penang.
Across the 53 state and parliamentary constituencies, 31 BN candidates are standing in an election for the first time. That constitutes 60 per cent of the party’s election cavalry in the state, though only six are women overall. It is a fresh approach to make inroads into what has become an indelible fortress for Pakatan Harapan (PH).
BN - the long-time ruling federal coalition - was defeated by PH candidates in the state in 2013.
Candidates like Wan Azizah, the wife of jailed opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim, led a BN rout, leaving it with just three parliamentary seats.
They lost all but one head-on contest with the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and People’s Justice Party; the two other BN victories were against the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), competing outside its traditional heartland.
It was a result as bad as they suffered in 2008.
“We need to rejuvenate the party. We need to showcase to the people that there is a hope for the party,” Penang BN chief Teng Chang Yeow told Channel NewsAsia.
“The people want hope and by putting up fresh, new candidates for the first time this will portray our commitment of the party that we are looking not only at the problems of the society at large but also at the younger generations.”
“New people, they come up with new ideas. They are creative, innovative and this will be able to draw in support from the younger voters.”
"CLOWNS ON BOTH SIDES"
Mr Teng has put his position on the line this election. He is standing in the state seat of Tanjong Bunga and promised to retire from politics should he fail to win it from the DAP.
And despite the confidence in his new faces, he accepts that BN has little hope in forming the state government or making major inroads in the national parliament from Penang.
“We know that we are facing an uphill task. We are resigned to the fact that it is not easy to take back the state power in this election. That’s why we go on to appeal for a greater, stronger role as a check and balance,” he said.
“We have to change our approach. We are already in opposition. We cannot act like we are still in the government.”
One of those taking to the political fray is lawyer Baljit Singh. He says his working experience places him well to serve the community, and that over the years he has witnessed, from afar, the ugly nature of public life.
“I see parliament proceedings, I see clowns on both sides. I don’t know who elected them, seriously. And some of them are very rude, very racist and very sexist,” he said.
“I think everyone in this country is trying to be a hero. Unfortunately, no ones want to be a hero for Malaysia or Malaysians. A wants to be the hero for the Malays, B wants to be the hero for the Chinese and C wants to be the hero for the Indians. In this country, to build a nation, it should be Malaysian first.
“To be honest I’ve only slept maximum five hours per day for the past two weeks. Being a first-time candidate you do a lot of things that people say you shouldn’t do. It’s a learning process and I hope to finish first, by the grace of God.”
His quest will not be an easy one. The Jelutong parliamentary seat he is contesting was a landslide DAP win in 2013, with 71 per cent of the vote. He knows it is a trend hard to correct and has been focusing on important local issues like annual flooding and cost of living.
Meanwhile, PH has been campaigning just as hard to maintain its hard-earned territory. It won 30 of the state’s 40 state seats five years ago, a target it is aiming to replicate this week.
“Only with your support for PH, this can happen. Only if we can retain all 30 seats, only then can we ensure the infrastructure projects can be carried out,” Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told reporters on Monday, referring to key promises including an undersea tunnel and a light rail transit.
LOVE LOST ON LOVE LANE
On Georgetown’s iconic Love Lane, one of its historic buildings stands in utter neglect. Scaffolding has been erected around the dilapidated house, which was once home to a secret society.
A dispute over rent owed on the property and its proper custodian is one of the central pillars of a more significant conflict between the DAP state government and the Penang Chinese Clan Council (PCCC) that has the potential to change the trajectory of votes come May 9.
Another dispute over the cancellation of a Chinese New Year cultural event this year over a financial disagreement with the state government caused the relationship to disintegrate even further.
The PCCC, normally a loyal supporter of DAP, has now actively started campaigning against the state government.
“This time, we must go all out to deny DAP and the opposition from returning to lead this state. “Enough is enough. We no longer feel peace in our state,” the council’s chairman, Dr Chang Wei Lu told the Chinese community in the state on the weekend.
The Chinese guilds of Penang have a long history on the island but their influence has waned due to shrinking finances - they rely on donations from the community - and changing demographics.
Still, BN chief Teng Chang Yeow admits the council’s shifting allegiances could affect only 2 per cent to 3 per cent of voters.
“The fact that the state government is competing against them in organising cultural events is something people cannot accept,” he said.
It is just the type of unexpected change that BN is hoping might repeat itself on the back of a punt on a progressive strategy.
