PCM makes stealthy debut in Hulu S'gor
Hazlan ZakariaPublished: Apr 11, 2010 5:18 AM | Updated: Apr 11, 2010 1:25 PM
As the fanfare and festivities continue in the countdown for the latest by-election, a newly-birthed political party is quietly making its debut.
D-Day in Hulu Selangor is scarcely a week away, when both Pakatan Rakyat and BN will have to name their candidates.
As the fanfare and festivities continue in the countdown for the latest by-election, a newly-birthed political party is quietly making its debut.
D-Day in Hulu Selangor is scarcely a week away, when both Pakatan Rakyat and BN will have to name their candidates.
Another week of expected feverish campaigning and it will be time for the votes to be cast and counted.
In the 'pre-campaign' work up prior to nominations, Pakatan and BN have deployed their big guns to the area as their respective election machinery invade the once sleepy hollow of Hulu Selangor.
Ministers and federal officials begin to reveal itineraries of 'long planned' visits to proclaim 'normal' allocations and 'usual' programs for the people of the besieged electoral district.
Opposition big-wigs also seemed to find in it in their busy schedules to honour 'long held' commitments to the constituency.
By sheer 'coincidence', the Pakatan-led state government of Selangor also effectively moved its seat to the once overlooked cowboy township's district office.
Almost unnoticed among the heavy trods of the BN and Pakatan behemoths is the newly birthed Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) which has quietly been making the rounds to the fiercely contested seat.
"We are already down there," said one PCM official to Malaysiakini in parliament recently.
"We now have over 200 people registered with us. In fact we shall be opening our branch there," added the former upper echelon of a BN component party.
Votes on the auction stand
However, he confirmed earlier reports that the party, despite its presence, will not be fielding a candidate for the upcoming by-election.
"We will not contest the by-election," he stressed.
On news reports that the party may field a candidate, the official said: "I only said that we will be looking at all possibilities."
According to him, as of now, the party's scarce resources could be better used in another manner.
"There is a lot of things that we can do with the RM10,000 election deposit," he explained.
But, as he revealed afterward, PCM might instead milk the poll for all its worth, to fill-up its coffers, if not with cash, then with political favours.
"Our 200 or so new members there are voters. Registered voters," he coyly hinted.
Questioned what this means, he smiled and revealed the party's battle plan for Hulu Selangor.
"We are going to see which side wants our votes and kaut (take) whatever they want to give to us for it."
Asked if they are going to campaign to support anyone, he said that they are just going to stay put and not spend their energy or worry about it.
"We are not going to campaign, we are just going to sit and wait. If they want our votes they will have to come to us."
PCM is not the only small fry to enter the clash of the titans, for Malay rights NGO Peribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) has also announced that it will go down to the ground in Hulu Selangor.
As Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali (right) himself told reporters several weeks back, "We are going to campaign in Hulu Selangor among the Malay grassroots on issues and to tell them who to vote for, we will support those that we think is best. We will not contest, as we are not a political organisation."
While the more well-endowed Perkasa did not say that it is seeking anything for its 'favours', it is highly likely that this NGO's support will be for the party that more closely identifies with Perkasa’s pro-Malay agenda.
Both PCM and Perkasa are endemic of the trend among small groups in the Malaysian political landscape, 'pressure groups' and 'vote banks' who now realize their power.
It is not only the local voters whose hands are holding out for more.
As Indian rights NGO Hindu-Rights Action Force (Hindraf) once proved to be one of the straws that broke BN's back in the last general election, so too will small parties and NGOs like PCM and Perkasa find their footing in the coming Hulu Selangor electoral punch up and beyond.
D-Day in Hulu Selangor is scarcely a week away, when both Pakatan Rakyat and BN will have to name their candidates.Another week of expected feverish campaigning and it will be time for the votes to be cast and counted.
In the 'pre-campaign' work up prior to nominations, Pakatan and BN have deployed their big guns to the area as their respective election machinery invade the once sleepy hollow of Hulu Selangor.
Ministers and federal officials begin to reveal itineraries of 'long planned' visits to proclaim 'normal' allocations and 'usual' programs for the people of the besieged electoral district.
Opposition big-wigs also seemed to find in it in their busy schedules to honour 'long held' commitments to the constituency.
By sheer 'coincidence', the Pakatan-led state government of Selangor also effectively moved its seat to the once overlooked cowboy township's district office.
Almost unnoticed among the heavy trods of the BN and Pakatan behemoths is the newly birthed Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) which has quietly been making the rounds to the fiercely contested seat."We are already down there," said one PCM official to Malaysiakini in parliament recently.
"We now have over 200 people registered with us. In fact we shall be opening our branch there," added the former upper echelon of a BN component party.
Votes on the auction stand
However, he confirmed earlier reports that the party, despite its presence, will not be fielding a candidate for the upcoming by-election.
"We will not contest the by-election," he stressed.
On news reports that the party may field a candidate, the official said: "I only said that we will be looking at all possibilities."According to him, as of now, the party's scarce resources could be better used in another manner.
"There is a lot of things that we can do with the RM10,000 election deposit," he explained.
But, as he revealed afterward, PCM might instead milk the poll for all its worth, to fill-up its coffers, if not with cash, then with political favours.
"Our 200 or so new members there are voters. Registered voters," he coyly hinted.
Questioned what this means, he smiled and revealed the party's battle plan for Hulu Selangor.
"We are going to see which side wants our votes and kaut (take) whatever they want to give to us for it."
Asked if they are going to campaign to support anyone, he said that they are just going to stay put and not spend their energy or worry about it.
"We are not going to campaign, we are just going to sit and wait. If they want our votes they will have to come to us."
PCM is not the only small fry to enter the clash of the titans, for Malay rights NGO Peribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa) has also announced that it will go down to the ground in Hulu Selangor.As Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali (right) himself told reporters several weeks back, "We are going to campaign in Hulu Selangor among the Malay grassroots on issues and to tell them who to vote for, we will support those that we think is best. We will not contest, as we are not a political organisation."
While the more well-endowed Perkasa did not say that it is seeking anything for its 'favours', it is highly likely that this NGO's support will be for the party that more closely identifies with Perkasa’s pro-Malay agenda.
Both PCM and Perkasa are endemic of the trend among small groups in the Malaysian political landscape, 'pressure groups' and 'vote banks' who now realize their power.
It is not only the local voters whose hands are holding out for more.
As Indian rights NGO Hindu-Rights Action Force (Hindraf) once proved to be one of the straws that broke BN's back in the last general election, so too will small parties and NGOs like PCM and Perkasa find their footing in the coming Hulu Selangor electoral punch up and beyond.
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