MELAKA – Datuk Seri Idris Haron may have his work cut out for him for the Asahan state seat and could succumb to a humbling first election defeat in his arguably illustrious political career in the ongoing Melaka polls.
This is going by the sentiments of voters on the ground, many of whom appear reluctant about casting their ballots for him come November 20, despite his status as a local-born boy and a former chief minister.
Several residents around the quiet town of Asahan interviewed by The Vibes shared their reasons behind their rejection of Idris, an ex-Umno member now contesting under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) banner.
These range from a fear of having their welfare aid being cut by supporting an opposition to Idris’s apparent non-presence in the constituency prior to the election.
Some, however, seem inclined to give him a chance. If Idris wins, this will be the first time since its inception in 2003 that a non-Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate will officially serve the constituency.
Jaidin Amat, 55, said he will continue voting for BN simply to avoid any risk of government welfare aid to him getting slashed.
The self-employed local man, who lives from day to day cleaning neighbourhood houses, said that although there is no evidence to prove that such assistance will be withdrawn if he supports a party other than the ruling BN, he cannot afford to lose his financial aid.
“If I don’t vote for BN, that means all my assistance will be gone. That’s the problem. If I pick a different choice, I will have nothing, I will get nothing,” he said.
Asked if he would consider voting for PH or Perikatan Nasional (PN) if they provide assurance that the aid will continue, Jaidin said there is no guarantee this will be the case.
“There’s a chance (my name will be removed from the aid list). This is what I heard from some of my friends,” he said, adding that what is important is for him to be able to continue living.
Samzainal Karim, 64, claimed that though Idris was born in Asahan, the PH man barely ever returned to his hometown.
He also questioned his efforts to uplift the town when he was Melaka chief minister from 2013 to 2018.
“Throughout his life, he has never returned (to Asahan). And when we talk about his service here, if he really wants to champion the locals, what did he do when he was chief minister?
“He never even visited. But after BN lost (in the May 2018 general election), only then he came back, though he only stayed at his home.
“Even then, each year he would come back not more than once,” the retiree claimed when met at a warong-style eatery.
Blamed for forcing the election
According to Samzainal, Idris’ decision to contest in Asahan has only infuriated village folks. He said Idris is not welcome to represent their voices and that voting for him would be like “giving a life to someone who does not care for the people”.
“I see many people intending to take revenge on him after what he did, or lack thereof, to his own constituency,” he said.
Another voter, who declined to be named, said quite a number of villagers are also seething from his decision to withdraw support for the BN state government, and blame him for the current state election.
The snap polls were called after the state assembly was dissolved on October 5 following Idris and three other state assemblymen withdrawing their support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.
Meanwhile, Tiau Kiah Hee, 70, said he is thrilled to see a household name and an Asahan-born candidate taking on the seat in the ongoing election.
While keeping his party of choice close to his chest, Tiau said it is also hard to predict if villagers will cast their ballots for Idris, adding that the former Umno man must have had a strong reason to pull support for the state leadership last month.
However, he admitted that even during Idris’ time as chief minister, it was difficult to see him on the ground, and that he would only occasionally pay a visit to the villages during major festivals.
Idris will compete with five other candidates for the Asahan seat, namely BN’s Fairul Nizam Roslan, Perikatan Nasional’s Dhanesh Basil, and independents Mohd Akhir Ayob, Azhar Abd Hamid and Mohd Noor Salleh.
Idris has won in all the elections he contested since his debut in 2004, twice winning the parliamentary seat of Tangga Batu, and twice the state constituency of Sg Udang. – The Vibes, November 14, 2021
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