Locals want Charles Santiago to defend Klang seat: survey

KUALA LUMPUR — Incumbent Klang MP Charles Santiago emerges as the locals’ favourite candidate to contest the federal seat, a survey shows.

A little over 40% of respondents said they would vote for him compared to other possible candidates from his party DAP.

The survey, run by the Association of Academy for Democracy and Citizenship Education (PAPDK), also found Santiago to be easily recognisable to 54.1% of the respondents

The survey size consists of 401 respondents from all voting districts in Klang, and has a 5% margin of error, said PAPDK deputy chairman Khairul Arifin.

Khairul added the findings showed that 41.9% would vote Pakatan Harapan (PH) if Santiago is the candidate while 30.4% and 29.2% would respectively support the coalition if the candidate is party comrade Ean Yong Hian Wah or Ganabatirau Veraman.

Yong is the current assemblyman for Seri Kembangan and Ganabatirau is the current Kota Kemuning assemblyman.

PAPDK, at a press conference, today said the survey was initiated by a “concerned community member and supporter of PH”, amid speculation that DAP would drop Santiago for another candidate in Klang, deemed a “safe” and winnable seat for the federal opposition.

Santiago has been Klang MP since 2008, when he broke MCA’s hold on the Chinese-majority seat.

He has since defended the seat with increasing majorities in subsequent elections. His winning majority in 2018 over the MCA candidate was by more than 78,000 votes.

Last week, The Vibes reported that Selangor DAP would decide whether to retain him, amid observations that former Selangor executive councillor Yong has been canvassing the constituency.

Influential Chinese groups in Klang have also stated their support for Santiago to defend the seat, as he is widely regarded as a hands-on MP and problem-solver.

Gan Ee Chai, the vice-chairman of the Batu Nilam 6-12 Residents Association who commissioned the survey, said that DAP’s “overconfidence” that it will win the Klang seat in nominating any other candidate is of concern to local PH supporters.

“We are worried by such overconfidence because many of our friends have indicated their disappointment, to the point of declining to vote. Some are unhappy that the incumbent MP is rumoured to be replaced,” he said.

“Potential new candidates are not as recognisable as the current MP. While both potential candidates (Yong and Ganabatirau) are good choices, the current opinion poll suggests that they (PH) need to play it safe. 

“Two weeks of campaigning will not be enough to build up momentum,” he added during the press conference.

Gan stressed that it is best for PH to nominate a candidate with a proven track record who is more recognisable to local voters. 

“Many are undecided and may not come out to vote this time. Please don’t give them another reason not to vote in this important election,” he added in his speech today.

The survey was conducted with “convenience sampling”, a method where respondents are selected by virtue of being the most easily accessible by the researcher, according to Khairul. 

Nonetheless, he added that the respondents were chosen from areas with the highest likelihood of having locals, such as housing areas and places of amenities within Klang. – The Vibes, October 21, 2022