PAKATAN Harapan’s Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik hopes that voters in the Balik Pulau federal seat will make clear their anger over the goods and services tax on polling day, but sentiments on the less-developed side of Penang Island seem to indicate the people have different concerns.

Bakhtiar, who is taking a second shot at the seat that PKR won in 2008 but lost to Barisan Nasional in 2013 by 1,539 votes, believes that he has a chance as people are unhappy with the implementation of GST.

The 52-year-old Penang Island city councillor also believes that the Dr Mahathir Mohamad “factor” has allowed PH to penetrate Umno strongholds like Kg Seronok, where it had been shut out previously.

“An auntie from the kampung told me, ‘dah cemuih’ (sick of it). She thinks BN has been in power for too long.

“I hope people will vote for change again in Balik Pulau. Don’t fall for temporary handouts and forget the next five years.

“PH has proven that it can be a good government. Look at Selangor and Penang. It’s time for BN to take a rest,” he told Malaysia Decides.

Balik Pulau has 59,086 voters, with 65% of them Malay, Chinese (30%) and Indians (4.3%). Most belong to the working class – they are low- to low-medium wage earners.

Bakhtiar said the local Chinese are supportive of PH, and so, the coalition’s focus now are the Malay fence-sitters.

A hawker who wanted to be known only as Hussein said people come to Balik Pulau only during the durian season.

“When was the last time (caretaker) chief minister Lim Guan Eng came to Balik Pulau? This isn’t a place people pass by on the way home or to work, so business is bad,” said the 47-year-old.

He feels that the DAP-led state government focuses too much on holding big events in George Town and Bayan Baru to attract visitors, and does little to stimulate the Balik Pulau economy.

He said so far, the big programmes held in Balik Pulau were mainly organised by BN, as incumbent Dr Hilmi Yahya is from the coalition.

Dr Hilmi, who is caretaker deputy health minister, is defending the seat for a third term.

Teluk Bahang restaurant owner Izwan Yusof, 32, echoed Hussein’s sentiments, saying the people want elected reps who understand their main struggle – the lack of fixed incomes.

But, said Bakhtiar, the lack of economic activities is due to the unfulfilled promises by Dr Hilmy and BN.

He said if PH takes over the federal government, it will introduce an economic stimulus plan for Balik Pulau, provide more skills training and jobs, and better wages for local youth, as well as start a free bus service for schoolchildren.

Fishermen have also protested against the state government’s land reclamation project off the southern coast of the island, which includes areas under Balik Pulau.

Bakhtiar, however, said opposition to the project is not entirely true, adding that fishermen from Gertak Sanggul, near the proposed project, are “surprisingly okay” with it.

“Their main concern is encroachment by trawlers, the ‘pukat harimau’ that catches all the fish, which is affecting their livelihoods.” – May 2, 2018.