Victory In Kkb Demonstrates Winning Formula For Mixed Seats Pang

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Pakatan Harapan’s success in defending Kuala Kubu Baharu has established a winning formula for mixed constituencies, said its newly elected state assemblyperson.
Pang Sock Tao believed the formula for mixed constituencies is that no party can win an election solely with the support of a single ethnic group.
“The election results prove that defending a mixed constituency requires support from all communities. Even if you aim to push Malay support to 80 percent, it may not be enough.
“There are 165 parliamentary seats in Peninsular Malaysia, many of which are mixed constituencies.
“In future elections, should the strategy for mixed constituencies involve fielding Malay candidates to boost Malay votes? Or should we also consider diversity and other ethnic groups?”
Pang expressed relief that the federal government was able to defend Kuala Kubu Baharu this time.
She added that if Harapan lost this by-election, that could have changed the electoral considerations of other parties in future elections.
“Through this election, there will be more diverse and comprehensive considerations for mixed constituencies in the future, rather than singular and conservative approaches.”
Pang was discussing the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election in a podcast on Malaysiakini’s Chinese site.
This episode is available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts.
Notable defence
In the by-election which concluded last Saturday, Pang, who is from DAP, won with a majority of 3,869 votes and defended the seat for Harapan.
According to DAP’s internal analysis, Harapan won 16 out of 18 polling districts in the Kuala Kubu Baharu state constituency, an increase of three compared to last year’s state election.
Additionally, Harapan’s vote share increased by 2.17 percent from 54.4 percent in the last state election to 56.57 percent in the by-election.
Kuala Kubu Baharu is a mixed constituency with 49.3 percent Malay voters, 30.6 percent Chinese voters, 17.9 percent Indian voters, and 2.1 percent other voters.
There were initial speculations that DAP might field Hulu Selangor Municipal Council (MPHS) councillor Saripah Bakar as a candidate, but Pang was eventually chosen for the task.
On April 18, six days before Harapan announced Pang’s candidacy, Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming announced a RM5.21 million allocation to upgrade public infrastructure under the supervision of the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council.
This move courted flak, partly because Pang was Nga’s press secretary at the time.
Being chosen as candidate
Pang denied that the allocation announced by Nga was meant to pave the way for her candidacy.
“When Nga visited Hulu Selangor on April 18 for work, I was there as his press secretary.
“Our event, Sentuhan Kasih KPKT (Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s Caring Touch Tour), has been held in various places, including Kelantan, Terengganu, Gerik (in Perak), and Perlis, as the federal government allocates funds to local governments annually for local development.”
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor MingPang said she only learned about the possibility of her candidacy two days after the April 18 event.
“I was not in the picture at all. We only found out later. People would talk bad about you. But I personally believe that regardless of whether Nga made the allocation before the nomination or after the victory, people would still say the same thing.
“But I want to put it on record that on April 18, I was not on the candidates list. It was a very last-minute decision.”
On May 8, Nga Kor Ming emphasised that although Pang had served as his press secretary, she would not be anyone’s proxy.
Pang noted that even when she heard on April 20 that she might have a chance to run, she did not think she would be selected.
“I even attended (singer) Fish Leong’s concert (on April 20).
“When I found out for sure on Tuesday (April 23), I was very nervous and had to buy a white shirt for photos.”
Campaign tactics
Pang also responded to criticisms of Harapan adopting BN-like campaigning tactics, which relied on development plans, door-to-door visits, and hosting dinners.
She said that in the by-election campaign, Harapan did not raise funds from the public as they usually did, and two of the dinners held were not organised by the coalition.
“One was in Bukit Chandang, and the other in Kerling. We were invited because many DAP supporters come from Chinese community groups, including temples and various Chinese associations, then we can gather support from these groups.”
Pang emphasised that Harapan did not hold lucky draws or entertainment shows during the campaign.
Pang campaigning with MIC members during the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election“We did not organise lucky draws or entertainment shows. Instead, we held talks across various locations with star speakers.
“I believe that in the 14-day campaign period, the most important thing is how to convey our message through different platforms. I feel that we have not devolved into a group that relies on lucky draws.”
Pang added that, unlike general elections, the government continues to function during by-elections and is not in a caretaker role.
Therefore, she stated that government officials, such as municipal councillors, continued to hold events during the by-election.
“It is the current government, and complaints must be addressed, and various activities must continue, such as the planned major sale to sell eggs, chickens, and vegetables. These activities must go on.” - Mkini

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