BANGI – Malaysia’s 15th general election (GE15) is seeing a historic number of independent candidates with a record 108 individuals.
Three of them are contesting in Bangi, the federal constituency with the largest number of voters at 303,430. The three independents are among the eight candidates for the seat.
While candidates from mainstream parties push national-level promises of fighting corruption and racism, pledging social and economic development, independent candidates here told The Vibes they feel ground-level issues should be given priority.
On the surface, many view Bangi as a livable place with few social problems, but independent candidate Suthan Mookaiah said drug addiction, poverty and corruption are present, and he will tackle these if he becomes the seat’s MP.
“I know the people here (in Bangi). I grew up here my whole life, went to school, and started my business here.
“Since I founded my company, BeliGas (a retail grocery chain now rebranded as Edar), I have employed more than 100 ex-convicts from Bangi here, giving them jobs and equipping them with skills.
“Some of them were drug addicts, so I know how rampant the drug issues are in Bangi. I know where the hotspots are,” he said when met at the Edar headquarters in Balakong recently.
The 36-year-old also feels that Bangi is beginning to lose its competitive industrial advantage. Many manufacturing companies that used to operate here have moved out to more attractive areas, he said.
Suthan said Bangi has to start bringing in new, sustainable businesses if it is to be a place for future generations to thrive.
Sustainable businesses will also provide employment and income to the locals, which is one of the ways to tackle low-level corruption in the area, he added.
“Once, while out driving, I was stopped by a policeman who tried to solicit a bribe from me.
“I employ ex-convicts, so I think they always aim for my car, but I have not done anything wrong, so I did not give over anything.
“The same goes for getting a business licence approved. If you do not bribe the authorities, they will delay the process up to four months.”
Floods, environmental issues
Another independent candidate for the Bangi seat, Prof Jamal Hisham Hashim, told The Vibes that people here suffer flood problems yearly.
“I have been to visit Taman Sri Langat, Kajang, to see flood problems that have been unresolved since 1974,” he told The Vibes.
“This year, residents took matters into their own hands and raised about RM18,000 out of their own pocket to install a flood control pump because the local authorities have not come up with a solution.
“As an environmental scientist, I am frustrated because I want to help the people, but I keep running into political issues.”
Jamal is widely known within the environmental industry as a subject matter expert. He was attached to the United Nations University-International Institute for Global Health in Kuala Lumpur as an environmental health and research fellow.
Some of the environmental issues that the 65-year-old has been vocal about include the controversial bauxite mining in Pahang and the pervasive haze caused by the annual forest fires from the land clearing in Indonesia.
“I am not looking forward to the politicking and the in-fighting or the rise to power because that is not what politics is about, but it is to serve the people and listen to their grievances and do our best to make their lives better.
“I am only interested in public service, not necessarily as a politician, but as a scientist, I have addressed and taken on various public issues.
“I have also never been a member of any political party, but I decided to run for this election because I want to see if I can go further to help these residents.”
Tired of politicking, just want to serve
On the other hand, the third independent candidate, Fauzi Hasim, said he has grown tired of in-fighting within political parties.
The former Selangor Amanah Youth chief said he decided to leave the party last year after his calls for internal change fell on deaf ears.
“I am tired of the politics within Amanah. When I first joined the party, I thought it would bring a new vision, but from what I’ve experienced, it was not the case,” he told The Vibes.
The 36-year-old admitted that his chances to win a parliamentary seat as an independent candidate are slim.
However, Fauzi said he is optimistic that the locals will eventually accept him following the rise in the number of independent candidates in this general election.
“We have the largest number of independent candidates this time compared with before, which means the sentiments of the people show that they have lost faith in the old parties.
“From what we see, there has been a lot of local issues that have not been addressed till now, mainly improper waste management among 14 villages within Bangi.
“Unpaved roads in village areas, such as Kg Sg Ramal Dalam, and poor drainage systems have also not been addressed.”
Fauzi, Jamal, and Suthan are among the Bangi candidates in the eight-cornered fight with Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Hoh Hee Lee, Perikatan Nasional’s Nazrul Hakim Nazir, Pejuang’s Annuar Salleh, Pakatan Harapan’s Syahredzan Johan, and Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Chee Chee Meng.
In the 14th general election, PH’s Ong Kian Ming of DAP won by a majority of more than 68,000 votes against opponents from Barisan Nasional, PAS, and Parti Rakyat Malaysia.
DAP has won the constituency since 2008. – The Vibes, November 18, 2022
