THE options for Chinese voters appear pretty slim in Semenyih, which goes to the polls in a by-election on Saturday.

“You can pick the independent (Kuan Chee Heng) or Parti Sosialis Malaysia (Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul) if you’re unhappy with Pakatan Harapan. 

“But if you’re not upset, then the choice is obvious,” contractor Tan Yee Hoi told The Malaysian Insight in the new village of Kg Baru Semenyih recently.

And with PAS partnering with Barisan Nasional, Tan said the situation is nothing short of a take-it-or-leave-it Hobson’s choice, with only one viable option – Pakatan Harapan.

This, he said, is because there still aren’t enough reasons to go back to BN, which he supported before 2013.

“BN has not changed despite losing the (general) election,” said the 60-year-old, who was enjoying an afternoon beer to escape the scorching heat in the new village, one of only two Chinese-majority voting stations in Semenyih. 

The other is Tarun.

“Umno is the same and so is MCA. What’s worse is that they now have PAS. So, if we want a better future for the generations ahead, it’s Pakatan or nothing.”

Kg Baru Semenyih lies along the main Jalan Semenyih road and contributes 3,220 voters, 82.5% of them Chinese, to the state seat’s voting population.

PH won big in the 14th general election here, capturing 81.8% of the 2,758 votes cast. BN managed 12% while PSM and PAS could only win 3.7% and 2.2%, respectively. 

Last year was the first time BN lost the state seat after defending the Umno stronghold in previous elections.

Kg Baru Semenyih was one of 450 “new villages” created by the British to thwart the rise of communism in Malaya before independence. 

Here, homes are still a mix of wooden houses from the 1950s and new brick-and-mortar homes. The only prominent structures here are the Semenyih Immigration depot, used to house illegal immigrants awaiting deportation and a secondary school named after Semenyih founder Engku Hussain.

Semenyih was originally under Negri Sembilan before it was swapped for Selangor’s Lukut by Sultan Abdul Samad in 1883. 

While new developments by Eco City, Sunway Semenyih and University of Nottingham Malaysia have changed the surroundings of the former oil palm plantation, the new village itself remains a time capsule.

“I still remember the curfews when I was growing up here,” said Wong Meng, 70, who went from table to table jotting down four-digit betting numbers from Chinese patrons.

“If not for the new developments, I could not have afforded my own house,” said Wong when asked about the new projects sprouting up in Semenyih.

He used to live in Kg Rinching before developers bought over his place for their new housing estates during the then federal opposition’s 10-year administration of Selangor.

“I don’t mind voting for Pakatan again. One of the reasons I picked the opposition (in GE14) was because of BN’s corruption issues. 

“The new government, though slow, is still more transparent.”

Turnout is key

To ensure victory, however, PH has to ensure a high turnout among Chinese voters, said Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research’s Tan Seng Keat.

“The turnout among Chinese voters in the last three by-elections (Sg Kandis, Seri Setia and Balakong) in Selangor was less than half the turnout rate in GE14 (estimated around 80%). 

“This is a sign that they are not entirely satisfied with the new government,” said the pollster.

He cited the by-election in Balakong, a DAP stronghold with the highest portion of Chinese voters in all recent by-elections at 60%, which only saw a 43% turnout of Chinese voters despite the group making up 60% of the electorate.

The Semenyih state seat, on the other hand, has only 16% Chinese and 14% Indians, with the rest being Malay voters (70%). 

Institut Darul Ehsan research manager Khairul Ariffin, however, said PH could rest assured that it had the Chinese voters’ support.

“The main problem, however, is the turnout. Many don’t feel there’s enough incentive to vote in the by-election as both state and federal governments are under Pakatan,” said Khairul.

“Although there are minor complaints about local infrastructure issues in Semenyih and general cost of living, Chinese voters are pragmatic and will be with PH if they come out to vote.”

Non-Malay voters have been cited as a major factor in PH’s GE14 victory last May. According to studies, 95% of the Chinese and 75% of the Indian vote went to PH, compared with only 25% of the Malay vote.

Meanwhile, Kg Baru Semenyih resident Anparasan Nalliah said he would likely vote for BN this time.

“I don’t think I will vote for Pakatan on polling day. Progress on the bridge coming in from Bangi has been very slow and business has dropped.

“So, maybe I will go for BN this time as they tend to take care of these issues,” the retired Kajang municipal council worker said, referring to an ongoing road project.

As for PSM and the independent candidate, Anparasan, 58, who voted for PH in GE14, said he felt like they have no chance. – February 25, 2019.