LANGKAWI – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister twice, and may be convinced he still has what it takes to be an MP again at 97, but voters in his constituency say it is time for a new face.
The Pejuang chairman will defend his seat in a five-cornered fight with Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Datuk Armishah Siraj, Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) Zabidi Yahya, Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah from Perikatan Nasional, and independent candidate Datuk Abd Kadir Sainudin in the coming general election (GE15) on November 19.
However, not everyone in Langkawi is interested in the looming polls nor with Dr Mahathir’s candidacy under his new coalition of Malay parties, Gerakan Tanah Air.
“Why do we need a 97-year-old man as our MP?” asked 65-year-old Langkawi voter Rokiah Samad.
Rokiah, who sells grilled fish at the popular Pantai Cenang, told The Vibes of her disappointment with the recent changes in government that have occurred since the 2018 general election.
“What is the point of voting? Nothing will change anyway.
Why vote for Dr Mahathir? He is already 97-years-old. What new ideas can he come up with?
“And why vote for anyone else? All these politicians are the same at the end of the day, all they care and bother about is themselves and how fat their pockets are,” she said.
Her disappointment with Dr Mahathir stems not only from his age, but from the last few years of political upheaval – beginning with party-hopping in the Sheraton Move that led to Dr Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister and the collapse of the PH government.
Rokiah said she was also let down as the last few years brought no changes or improvements to the duty-free island popular with holidaymakers. And when floods struck Langkawi recently, locals were forced to fend for themselves, she said.
“Did anyone come to help us? No. Did anyone bother to find ways for the island to recover economically? No.
“So, tell me again, why should I vote? No matter what the outcome is, they (politicians) will always find ways to pull strings in the background and get what they want,” she added.
Island resident Eric Stanley, a retired media consultant, echoed Rokiah’s frustration and agreed that it was time Dr Mahathir called it a day.
Enough is enough. Dr Mahathir has done a lot for Malaysia and there will not be a leader like him, but I think it is time for him to stop.
“In my opinion, I don’t agree with Dr Mahathir contesting as he should have given a younger person the opportunity this time. Dr Mahathir has contributed enough,” Stanley said of the statesman’s 22 years in power under BN, when he turned Malaysia into an industrialised country in the 1980s and 1990s.
“We need a local person who is well-informed on the issues that are happening on the island. Langkawi is a gold mine and it opens Malaysia to the world if developed accordingly,” Stanley told The Vibes.
Langkawi needs fresh ideas
Pishol Ishak, who runs a tourism business on the island, said locals want someone who can solve Langkawi’s current issues.
These include its drainage system that contributes to flooding, as well as the local tourism-dependent economy.
We need someone who can fix the flood issues that we are facing. We are already suffering economically, and floods are the last thing we need.
“Businessmen here have been impacted significantly and we need a young and vibrant person who is capable of coming up with new ideas to help boost the economy,” said Pishol, who will cast his vote here.
Another Langkawi resident and voter – who works in the security industry and wants to be known as Fadil – said he would prefer to vote for a local-born candidate as his MP.
“Yes, Dr Mahathir is from Alor Star, Kedah, but it’s not the same as having someone from the island itself.”
Fadil explained that local businesses were worried about calls by PAS, which runs the Kedah government, to ban alcohol in the entire state.
He said this will greatly affect businesses here, given the island’s selling point as a holiday and duty-free destination.
“If they try to (ban) alcohol, the incomes of people here will be affected as it is an essential source of income for many businesses here.
“If you go to any duty-free shop here, you will see Muslims working and handling alcohol for customers; it’s not a problem for them because they know that it brings people to the island.”
We need someone who understands our issues and only a Langkawi-born candidate will be able to,” Fadil said.
Van driver Muhammad Sofian Osman also said it was time for Langkawi to have a younger elected representative.
“He (Dr Mahathir) has done a lot for this place, and we won’t deny it, but recently things have slowed down in terms of development, which has impacted revenue for Langkawi,” said local-born Sofian.
“There is nothing wrong with change, a younger mind in the Parliament seat can help create new avenues for the locals to generate more income.
“I am certain many would say Dr Mahathir has done a good job all this while, but I am also sure they would agree that Langkawi needs a fresh representative in Parliament. This would be exciting, provided that they stay true to their promises,” said the 36-year-old Sofian.
Among Dr Mahathir’s other rivals in GE15, BN’s Armishah is 58 and Perikatan Nasional’s Suhaimi is 64.
A sizeable number of Langkawi’s 66,777 voters in GE15 are young people. Of this, 5,340 are aged 18 to 20, while those in the 21 to 39 age bracket number 32,518.
During his BN years, Dr Mahathir was long-time MP for Kubang Pasu. He stepped back from electoral politics after his first retirement as prime minister in 2003, but returned to stand in Langkawi for the 2018 national polls under PH, winning with a 8,893-vote majority. – The Vibes, November 6, 2022
Additional reporting by T. Vignesh
