Disruptor Psm Wrestles For Votes While Stuck Between Titans

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AYER KUNING POLLS | Amid a by-election largely focused on the tug-of-war between major political coalitions, underdog PSM is not backing down in its attempt to carve out a space for its message.
While PSM suffered a bitter defeat in a five-cornered battle for the state seat during the 2022 general elections, the “third force” party remains convinced that voters in certain localities will cast their ballots in its favour.
In particular, the Ayer Kuning Selatan district polling centre appears to be one of the neighbourhoods where PSM hopes to net a significant portion of its votes.
Having opted to set up its command centre for the by-election at a prominent shop lot in the area, it would be a mighty challenge for anyone not to take note of PSM’s stand-out red flags, along with megaphones blaring its trademark tunes and slogans.
With eager volunteers and curious residents constantly present at the party’s war room where homecooked food and cool drinks never seem to run out of stock, Ayer Kuning Selatan is also significant to the party due to its candidate’s familiarity with the area.
PSM’s Ayer Kuning hopeful, Bawani KS, grew up in one of the few homes located just a short drive away from the party’s operations centre, with many of her family members still residing in their homes there.
During the 15th general election, when Bawani first attempted to wrest the state seat from BN’s long-held control, PSM garnered 111 votes from Ayer Kuning Selatan - about 14 percent of the district's votes.
This was just one vote more than Umno’s candidate Ishsam Shahruddin, who would go on to win the polls.
While Amanah’s Nazri Hashim topped the charts with 483 votes from the district polling centre, PSM far outpaced PAS candidate Nur Farid Zainal, who only secured 23 votes.
PSM influence
Asked about the factors behind PSM’s apparent influence in the locality, the party’s central committee member Chong Yee Shan said voters in the non-Malay majority area were - and remain - hesitant to back Perikatan Nasional due to the coalition’s persistent “fearmongering” tactics.
PSM central committee member Chong Yee Shan“(During the previous polls), PN didn’t put much effort into courting votes from the Chinese community in general, (which is why) PSM did well in Chinese-majority streams, in comparison with other areas,” Chong told Malaysiakini.
The party’s communications bureau chief for the by-election added that PSM’s observation of ground sentiments thus far have indicated that a portion of voters might not come out to vote at all as they don’t want to support either BN or PN.
As such, she said PSM aims to capitalise on its positioning as a principled alternative to either bigwig, who have both opted to field Islamic religious figures as their candidates.
“Even with a low voter turnout rate, we’re hoping to gain more votes from Ayer Kuning Selatan this time.
“The situation might be different if Pakatan Harapan had fielded a candidate here, but as it stands, people might decide to vote for PSM as a third force,” she added.
Having gained an overall 586 votes during the previous contest for one of the two state seats under the Tapah parliamentary constituency, PSM could be facing an uphill battle to at least retain its deposit in the current race.
Voters’ sentiment
In a short conversation outside his family’s house just a few doors down from Bawani’s home, one voter said that while the candidate is well-known in the area, it is difficult for people to dismiss BN’s decades-long influence.
“Bawani is good. I’ve known her since she was a small girl, (but) PSM is not a big party.
“Maybe if they joined (another coalition), they could win (at elections). They do have their supporters, but BN has helped the people here a lot,” said Ramakirshnan Ravoo, 62, who proclaimed that his family has supported BN for three generations.
Ayer Kuning voters Ramakirshnan Ravoo and his wifePSM’s grim forecast of low voter participation might not be misplaced, as over in other parts of Ayer Kuning, voters approached by Malaysiakini appeared disillusioned over politicians’ unfulfilled promises.
Chan Tuck Keong, 48, a voter from Kampung Coldstream, lamented how representatives from two opposing political parties had failed to tackle ongoing water pressure issues plaguing residents there.
“When (Bawani) campaigned here last time (GE15), she said she would settle the problem whether she wins or loses, but it’s still the same until now.
“We reached out to MCA as well, but they couldn’t do anything either,” he said at his kopitiam where he sells a variety of noodle dishes in the mornings.
A few stores down the road, Lee Wong San, 70, initially asserted that he has no intentions of voting this weekend as “whoever wins won’t help us”.
“When they (candidates) want our vote, they’ll come to us, promising that they’ll serve everyone regardless of race while calling us friends, but we never see them after they’ve won.
“I don’t want to vote. Whoever wins won’t affect me, I’ll still be struggling to put food on the table,” he said while accompanying several of his friends for lunch.
However, he later noted that if he does decide to vote, he might give PSM a chance so that other candidates “won’t enjoy a big win”.
Fence sitters
Expressing similar sentiments, retiree Chow Chee Heng, 68, said he has not yet determined whether he will cast his ballot on voting day.
With a less-than-friendly perspective of BN, Chow said he does not want to vote as he is tired of not receiving any assistance from the government despite repeated pleas.
Ayer Kuning voter Chow Chee Heng (right) at his kopitiamHe opined that the more support a candidate receives, the more emboldened they would be to line their own pockets, saying: “What help have they given me? They’ve only made things worse.”
For Ridzuan Zakaria, 63, PSM’s presence at the polls could prove futile for the party, but their ability to provide competition while acting as a check-and-balance measure should not be discounted.
“Ayer Kuning is a Malay-majority area, and Malay voters normally tend to vote for other Malays - that’s just how the Malay-Muslim sentiment is, so the fight between Umno and PAS could be quite close,” he said.
“Fence-sitters might also prefer BN as (voters) will note that BN is part of the federal and state government.
“They’re not loyalists to any parties, so they’ll just think about what (a candidate) can give them,” he added, stopping to speak briefly after performing his prayers at the Masjid Jamek Ayer Kuning.
Campaigning for the by-election kicked off on April 12, with early voting set to take place today.
Besides PSM deputy secretary-general Bawani, Tapah PN chief Abd Muhaimin Malek and Tapah Umno secretary Yusri Bakir will also be vying for the state seat.
The Ayer Kuning seat was declared vacant following incumbent Ishsam’s death from a heart attack on Feb 22. - Mkini

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