WARISAN candidate for Batu, Nathan Pillai is aware of the challenges ahead as he makes a bid for the federal seat located in the heart of the capital city.

He is aware that he is a new face, that there are other well established candidates in the fight, and that his party, which originates from Sabah, has limited influence on the peninsula.

Yet the chartered accountant cum businessman, who is making his first foray into politics, believes he stands a good chance.

“I’m up for the challenge. I don’t do anything half-heartedly. Social media is abuzz now (over the general election). So whatever the outcome, I will accept it.

“If our narrative appeals to the hearts and minds of the people, then we have as good a chance as anyone else. It is the voters who decide, not anyone else,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The Batu seat has been a PKR stronghold since 2008 but in the last general election the then incumbent Tian Chua was disqualified from contesting, allowing newbie P. Prabakaran to win the seat as an independent candidate with the backing of Pakatan Harapan.

He joined PKR after the elections. There are rumblings in the party over which of the two should be given the chance to stand in Batu.

Many other political parties are expected to vie for the seat.

Activist lawyer Siti Kassim, social media influencer Nur Fathiah Syazwana Shaharuddin, who is popularly known as Cleopatra, and Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional are also expected to enter the fight.

In 2018, Prabakaran was the youngest candidate at age 22 to win the seat with a majority of 24,438 votes.

The Batu constituency is estimated to have 112,000 voters.

Nathan, 54, said that he has always been interested in politics but never had the right platform until Warisan.

“So, when Warisan came to the peninsula in December last year the opportunity matched my interests.

“With the quality of parliamentarians we see out there and then the Sheraton Move, I felt it was time that something was done for the country.”

Nathan said he joined Warisan because it is multiracial.

“The Sabah values such as being united, harmonious appealed to me.

“It’s time we stop all this nonsense of dividing and ruling. We need to move forward as a nation and that platform I believe is Warisan.”

On Warisan contesting in Batu, Nathan said that if peninsula-based Umno and DAP could contest Sabah, then there is nothing to stop a Sabah party that understands local issues to offer a platform for the people here.

“It is not a Sabah party per say, but a platform coming into Peninsula that offers to serve the people.

“The challenges are to get the people to know us, a relatively new party here.

“Our duty is to present what we can do and deliver and let the people decide.

“If I can manage 450 workers, I’m sure I can lift the whole of Batu. That’s the confidence and experience that I have.”

Lifting the local economy

Nathan, who hails from Johor and has been living in Batu for the last 15 years, said if the incumbent Batu MP (Prabakaran) had done a good job, there would not be a possibility of 10 to 12 candidates contesting in Batu.

“The chances with this many candidates with split votes is anyone’s game.

“Multi-cornered fights are definitely going to be difficult. I would prefer one-on-one or maybe against two or three candidates.

“Because then it makes the job of conveying the message (to voters ) much easier.”

His plans for Batu is to lift the local economy by creating employment and attracting investments.

“There are a lot of issues here, especially the ones faced by those who are living at the low cost flats.

“There are generations of families living in those flats which are 600 sq feet to 800 sq feet. There will be mental and health issues.

“There is also the garbage and constant traffic woes faced by the people here.”

Nathan said the first thing that needs to be done is putting money into people’s pockets by getting them employed.

“This can be done with starting small businesses. I think the creativity and depth of experience is what is lacking here.

“If more people work here, then there will be a multiplier effect on the local economy.

“So, firstly the ease of doing business in Batu needs to be improved and that’s right on top of the priority list.

“We need to showcase these issues on the media platform to get things moving. Then engage the stakeholders and authorities.”

Malaysia will vote on November 19.  Early voting in on November 15..

Nomination day is on November 5. – October 27, 2022.