[UPDATED] Battle royale set for Kuala Langat hot seat

KUALA LUMPUR – Parliament’s dissolution on Monday has already set tongues wagging with potential candidates eyeing federal seats nationwide.

In the semi-urban constituency of Kuala Langat, located roughly an hour away from the capital here, a multi-cornered fight is expected to take place for the 15th general election (GE15).

The constituency had 102,406 registered voters in 2018, comprising 71.4% Malay voters, 13.5% (Indian), 12.08% (Chinese) and 3.5% (other ethnicities), including a good number of Orang Asli consisting of the coastal-based Mahmeri tribe and forest-based Temuan tribe.

While incumbent MP Datuk Dr Xavier Jayakumar won the seat on a PKR ticket with a resounding  17,112-vote majority during the 2018 general election, the former water, land and natural resources minister has since left the party and joined fledgling Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).

PBM, helmed by incumbent Ampang MP Datuk Zuraida Kamarudin, is trying to join the Barisan Nasional (BN) stable – which, if successful, could pave the way for Xavier to defend his seat under its banner.

While the 69-year-old veteran has kept mum about the matter, sources within the Kuala Langat political sphere have said that the former PKR vice-president is keen to defend the seat if the opportunity presents itself.

The challenge for Xavier, nonetheless, lies in gaining enough trust from the voters and the reflection of his groundwork so far due to his departure from PKR under controversial circumstances in 2021.

PKR fight-back

Xavier’s former party PKR is keen to regain that seat following his exit from the party.

While Kuala Langat was a Malay super-majority seat in 2018, the passing of Undi18, last year has significantly augmented the constituency’s racial dynamics.

At present the number of eligible voters tallies at 146,506, comprising 57.07% Malay voters, 27.9% Chinese voters and 13.04% Indian voters.

The Others category, which includes the Orang Asli community, only makes up 1.56% of the total voters.

The reduction of Malay voters by nearly 15% is significant, making the parliamentary seat more racially balanced.

Speaking to The Vibes, newly elected Kuala Langat PKR chief R. Haridass expressed his willingness to contest the seat should the party’s leadership nominate him.

“I am willing to take on the challenge. Being born and bred here, I am totally aware of the issues in the constituency. 

“If given the opportunity by the party, I will definitely take it,” he said.

However, sources within the PKR fold have revealed that incumbent Kapar MP Datuk Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid is also eyeing his old stomping ground, having served two terms between 2008 and 2018 in Kuala Langat.

This comes as PKR and Umno continue to strategise their best pawns on the parliamentary chessboard in the coming days.

BN components scurrying to contest

Despite Xavier’s intention, BN – specifically Umno – aims to contest and redeem the seat it last won in 2004.

Umno information chief Shahril Suffian Hamdan, who had contested and lost to Xavier in 2018, was widely touted to have a go at the seat again.

However, according to a source within the party, it is learnt that Shahril will most likely be given a parliamentary seat in Melaka to take on a Bersatu incumbent instead.

Kuala Langat Umno division chief Zurihan Yusop, the source said, had since been staking a claim to contest the seat, having held division meetings lately to legitimise support for his candidacy to be submitted to the party’s Supreme Council for consideration.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said Zurihan was not necessarily a popular choice as he is not well known throughout the constituency.

MIC, a partner of Umno under BN, has also been contemplating the said seat.

This, the source said, was due to the pressure by Kapar Umno to field a candidate from their ranks instead of handing it over to MIC, which has traditionally contested in the seat.

“The move could result in a swap arrangement with Kapar going to Umno and Kuala Langat to MIC as a conciliatory effort.”

The source said MIC could field its vice-president, senator Datuk T. Mohan, or its Wanita head, Datuk Mohana Muniandy, depending on the finalised seat.

Mohana had previously contested for the Kapar seat but lost to Abdullah Sani in 2018.

PN entry, potential disruptor

PAS is more or less set to field its Sijangkang assemblyman Datuk Ahmad Yunus Hairi for the Kuala Langat seat.

Yunus, a former state executive councillor during the Pakatan Rakyat administration under the late menteri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, was one of the few sole survivors of PH’s dominating victory in Selangor four years ago.

Having won with a 1,677-vote majority in 2018, Yunus has established himself among voters in the Malay-majority Sijangkang state seat since 2008.

The remaining two state seats, namely the non-Malay majority Banting and Malay-majority Morib, are currently being held by DAP and Amanah respectively.

Malay votes in Kuala Langat could very well be split on polling day, should even a minimal three-way battle between BN, PN and PH emerge. – The Vibes, October 12, 2022