KUALA LUMPUR – Malay voters in Klang said they care less about which party will win the parliamentary seat but want their MP to be as engaging and as accessible as incumbent Charles Santiago of DAP.
With talk rife that the party will drop the three-term Klang lawmaker in the coming general election (GE15), Malay community leaders here said no other MP they have had has been as attentive as Santiago.
“The new face that follows must follow his example. If possible, we want him to contest again. He has always been attentive to people’s needs, to the disabled, orphans, and poor in our community,” Kampung Pandamaran village chief Mohd Nazri Omar told The Vibes.
“YB (Santiago) is also easy to communicate with and does not place barriers between us and his office. We can even talk to him directly and he often attends community programmes here.”
Nazri said locals here are not into political intrigue, nor have any strong loyalty to any particular political party, but are more concerned about the quality and traits of their MP.
“Honestly, we do not care who wins the seat. We want someone as good as YB (Santiago) or better.
“All these candidates should not appear once in a while or make an appearance as we near the election. That is just insincere,’’ Nazri added.
Bukit Raja resident association president Mohd Zulkifli Othman, who represents 28 housing areas, said his community demands a “rakyat-oriented” MP.
“Political affiliations aside, we do not care who wins the seat. But we cannot deny YB (Santiago) is among the most approachable politicians out there and is often a phone call away.
“I have yet to see someone who can keep up with him in terms of public service and public engagement,” Zulkifli said.
Klang resident Norshida Akmal concurred, adding that Santiago has set the bar high for his possible replacement.
A regular volunteer around the Klang community, Norshida said she had helped the DAP politician coordinate a food aid programme here during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She said she would relay needs and information from those requiring aid to Santiago, and he would often respond promptly.
“He never had any preconditions or requirements for aid recipients. He would just ask where and what is needed and do his best to provide.
Santiago has been defending the Klang seat since his first election in 2008, with increasing majorities each time.
In 2008, he broke Barisan Nasional’s hold on the constituency by defeating the MCA candidate with a 17,701 majority. His winning margins increased in subsequent elections – 24,685 in 2013 and 78,733 in 2018.
Since speculation that DAP would drop him from GE15 started circulating, several local groups in Klang have come out to voice their support for Santiago defending the seat. – The Vibes, October 25, 2022
