Indians loom as kingmakers in Kuala Kubu Baharu as PH struggle for Malay vote continues

Discontent among the ethnic Indians in Kuala Kubu Baharu is becoming an increasing problem for Pakatan Harapan (PH) in its bid to retain the seat in the upcoming by-election, even as Malay sentiment against Anwar Ibrahim's leadership shows no sign of abating.

Checks by MalaysiaNow found that opposition to the DAP candidate representing PH is growing among the Malays in the state constituency, which could dash any hope the ruling coalition has of a comfortable win on May 11.

With increasing dissatisfaction among the Indians apparently on the rise, the question boils down to whether PH will be able to retain the Selangor state seat.

It is possible that the community, which makes up 18% of the electorate in Kuala Kubu Baharu, will throw its support behind Perikatan Nasional (PN), underscoring its new role as kingmakers in the ongoing contest.

Kuala Kubu Baharu, with 40,226 voters, also comprises 46% Malay and 30% Chinese voters.

This, coupled with some 2,000 Orang Asli voters, will make the by-election one of the toughest the seat has ever seen.

Former MP Charles Santiago, one of several DAP leaders dropped by the party leadership from contesting the last election, is aware of the risk of rejection by the Indian community.

"People are not interested in ceramahs. They want an opportunity to raise their concerns with the authorities, especially the state government," he reportedly said.

Former MIC Youth chief Sivarraajh Chandran also acknowledged the Indian community's dissatisfaction with the federal government.

"On the ground, I have heard many complaints about the dissatisfaction of the Indian community with the present government and the prime minister," he said.

Adding that this would not translate into support for PN, he however raised the possibility that Indian voters might not turn out to vote in the election this weekend.

The focus on Indian votes came as former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy launched his own campaign in Kuala Kubu Baharu urging Indian voters to "punish" PH.

A voter who asked to be identified as Siva, 56, said the main complaint of Indians against Anwar was injustice and inequality in employment and economic opportunities.

"He made many promises to help the Indian community, including in the quality of education, improving Tamil school infrastructure and also the housing issue," Siva, who runs a grocery shop, told MalaysiaNow.

Battle for the Malay vote

In the Malay community, meanwhile, MalaysiaNow's conversations with local leaders, especially Umno grassroots in the area, suggest that the transfer of decades-long support for Barisan Nasional can no longer be stopped.

At the heart of the shift in support towards PN is the controversy over the so-called royal amendment to Najib Razak's semi-pardon and the anger of the Umno base over the party's cooperation with PH.

A Hulu Selangor Umno division leader said there was "clear anger" among supporters over the way the government had handled the controversy over the royal pardon for Najib, the former Umno president who remains influential within the party.

The Umno man, who asked to remain anonymous, said Anwar and the PH government "kept quiet and tried to cover up" that the Agong had made an addendum to the decision of the Pardons Board, which Najib's lawyer said was an instruction that the former prime minister be allowed to serve the remainder of his imprisonment under house arrest.

"Umno members believe that the move (ignoring the addendum) is unfair and aimed at making it politically difficult for Najib," he said.

Anwar has distanced himself from the controversy, although the prime minister is part of the Pardons Board.

The issue arose after Umno president and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi filed an affidavit last month in support of Najib's application to release the royal addendum, which his lawyer claimed was written by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah just before the monarch stepped down as Agong in late January.

Zahid said a photo of the memo was shown to him by Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz.

However, questions arose as to why Zahid took more than two months to reveal the matter, and over the claim that the government was trying to conceal it.

An Umno leader said the "romanticisation" of Malay issues was also a factor in the community's rejection of the PH candidate.

He said this sentiment had been on the rise since the 2018 general election where Umno lost power.

"This feeling is not just in Kuala Kubu Baru, but all over Malaysia."

He said the anger was compounded by the fact that PH candidate Pang Sock Tao is an aide to Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming, who has been embroiled in controversy over statements and actions leading to allegations of racial bias by Malay groups.

"Malay voters cannot accept anyone who questions their rights," the Umno leader added.

According to him, Umno members cannot be expected to cooperate with DAP.

"When the Umno president agreed to PH's decision to field a DAP candidate, a non-Malay one at that, the opposition strengthened even more.

"This is what they are complaining about to us grassroots leaders, and we have run out of arguments to defend Umno," he said.

Big change in Malay areas

An Umno worker overseeing the Ampang Pecah polling district said there were only some 500 voters who would support Umno, compared to 4,000 in the 2018 general election.

"Batang Kali has actually become a black area for us. We have lost 90% of the voters.

"Our situation is very critical because Batang Kali and Ampang Pecah make up the bulk of Malay voters in Kuala Kubu Baharu," said the man, who also did not want to be named.

He said the loss of Malay support for Umno was most evident in last year's state election.

"That's why our machinery has doubled its efforts. One way is that we are getting help from the party machinery from all over the country.

"They come here to support us, going door-to-door and focusing on Umno voters," he added.

Apart from political issues and the candidate's affiliation with DAP, criticism against the state government over infrastructure problems in Kuala Kubu Baharu is also a major cause of voter dissatisfaction.

"Voters keep complaining about the poor quality of healthcare and lack of access to education in this area," said the Umno leader.