The telephone calls that brought ex-MP Wee out of political retirement

When he left the Dewan Rakyat for what he thought was the last time in 2013, Wee Choo Keong never intended to look back. 

His plan, after bidding farewell to the world of politics, was to focus on court cases at his law firm. 

But day in and day out, he would receive telephone calls from residents in Wangsa Maju who wanted him to come back and continue serving as their MP. 

They would call to tell him about the troubles they faced, particularly with regard to security and infrastructure in the area. 

Then one day, he was invited by Warisan president Shafie Apdal to return to the political arena. The offer was for him to run for the seat of Wangsa Maju once more, this time on a Warisan ticket. 

Wee submitted his nomination as a candidate on Nov 5 and now faces a six-way fight against Mohd Shafei Abdullah (Barisan Nasional), Zahir Hassan (Pakatan Harapan), Nuridah Mohd Salleh (Perikatan Nasional), Norzaila Arifin (Gerakan Tanah Air) and independent R Suntheralingam.

Speaking in an interview with MalaysiaNow, he said his main reason for returning was to make Parliament a place that truly focuses on solving the issues faced by the people. 

"Not a political game for the sake of power grabs," he added. 

"This is the real duty of all MPs – to find out about the issues at hand and bring them to Parliament so that a solution can be found and the people are no longer troubled by that matter.

"This is why I decided to come back." 

Wee, a Kelantan boy, held the Bukit Bintang seat for DAP from 1990 until 1995. 

He then represented PKR in Wangsa Maju from 2008 to 2013. 

Wee said he had always been active in airing his views and putting forward solutions for issues and policies on his blog.  

He said this had been a lesson to many to be mindful about their duties in case they, too, became a topic on his blog one day. 

"I contacted the Kuala Lumpur City Hall about something once, and they told me not to worry as action had already been taken. 

"I had just only called to inform them of the matter. But they already read about it on my blog," he said. 

Main agenda

Today, as he continues on the campaign trail for the 15th general election, he intends to make unity among the people of Wangsa Maju the main core of his manifesto. 

"When everyone is united, is there anything that we cannot do? Anything is possible," he said. 

"The government needs to pay attention to the fact that it is a government for the people. Not just the Malays or the Indians or the Chinese – for everyone."

During his time as the Wangsa Maju MP, he said, he had not focused on issues of race or religion. 

"I grew up in Kelantan, eating budu and hanging out with the village people who are mostly Malays," he said. 

"Don't talk to me about factional politics for certain groups only."

He also spoke about the infrastructure of Wangsa Maju which he said was old and in need of work. 

He said this had led to problems such as traffic congestion and a lack of sufficient parking space. 

In 2013, he said, there had been some 75,000 voters in Wangsa Maju – a number which has since risen to 123,000. 

"But the roads are all the same. There is nothing new. 

"Maybe this is what is lacking in Wangsa Maju – infrastructure," he said. 

A voter who spoke to MalaysiaNow at a motorcycle workshop said Wee's reappearance had been the talk of the town. 

Khaw Chui Ching, a retired English teacher, said many voters were glad that Wee had returned, regardless of which party he was representing. 

"Even if you field him under a clown face logo, we will vote for him," Khaw said. 

"He is a very good candidate."