PAKATAN Harapan is confident of defending the Setiawangsa parliamentary seat.

Its MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad the constituency is no longer an Umno stronghold.

He told The Malaysian Insight Perikatan Nasional (PN) is likely to make it a multi-cornered fight for the Malay-majority seat. 

“Setiawangsa used to be among Umno’s strongholds in the Federal Territory but we have worked here and will be able to defend it, whether in a two- or three-cornered fight.  

“We see that there will be a clash with Bersatu because they also have started working in Setiawangsa, which we predict will also give us a challenge. 

But as I said, I am confident that we can defend the seat,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Nik Nazmi said the diversity of the voters in Setiawangsa, which is home to army camps and police training centres, is a challenge.

“Their vote is based on many factors, not only the party. The economy, their income, the environment and development also influence their vote,” he said.  

In the 2018 general election, Nik Nazmi won the Setiawangsa seat with a majority of 14,372 votes after a three-cornered fight with Zulhasnan Rafique of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Ubaid Abd Akla of PAS.  

More than 17,000 people voted in the election, which consisted 62% of Malay voters, 26% Chinese, and 10% Indians. 

In the 2014 election, BN won Setiawangsa and the neighbouring Titiwangsa with a slim majority of 1,390 and 866 votes, respectively. 

Those were the only two seats BN won among the 11 in Kuala Lumpur that year.

In 2018, the coalition lost the two seats when lost th general election to PH after the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal broke. 

Political observers predict that the marginal seat will be one of the battlegrounds for the Malay vote in the next general election, which does not bode well because of the risk of split votes.

PN, Bersatu underdogs  

On his work in Setiawangsa, Nik Nazmi said he has helped students to return to school following the lockdowns  

He has also launched a community football club called Setiawangsa Rangers. 

“We also bring up development issues, such as providing support to the residents protesting against Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s decision to allow the construction of a luxury condominium project around the Bukit Dinding forest reserve.”

Nik Nazmi said he had already declared his wish to defend the seat for PKR.

“I leave the decision to the leadership. But I have expressed my desire to the leadership many times to continue serving in this seat.”

Meanwhile Bersatu’s Mohd Ikhmal Abu Bakar admitted PN is the underdog in the Setiawangsa contest.  

Ikhmal said it will be hard for PN to win, looking at the voting pattern and the background of the voters. 

“There’s a lot of support for Umno and PH and Bersatu is seen as the underdog party  

“But we will still fight and we are actively preparing the machinery for GE15,” he said.  

He said Bersatu is focusing on winning over the 20,000 new voters in the constituency..  

“With such a high number of new voters, Umno will not necessarily win if the election is called now… because these are fence-sitters, and they will choose whichever party they want, it’s not like before,” he said.

Former Setiawangsa MP Ahmad Fauzi Zahari said the voting pattern in the seat has changed since Umno lost in 2018.

Fauzi, who represented the seat for a term after winning in 2014, said the candidate’s personality alone will not determine the outcome in Setiawangsa. 

“Setiawangsa is an urban area so voters are more literate and discerning and will evaluate all government policies.   

“Voters will look at the large life issues; if the government does a good job and they see how they will benefit from the policies, they will support the government,” he said.

Fauzi  is confident BN has a good chance of winning back Setiawangsa after PH’s dismal government performance. – September 16, 2022.