Kapar will vote for lower prices

As far as Chinese and Malay residents in the nation’s largest parliamentary constituency - Kapar - are concerned, one issue will be a pivotal factor when considering who to vote for in the coming polls - the rising prices of basic goods.

They said that although the BN government had come out with pro-people policies, these were not enough to address their grouses when it came to bread and butter issues which affected them on a daily basis.

"To me, the main criteria for choosing a candidate will be whether or not the candidate can help towards reducing the prices of basic goods like flour and cooking oil. If you ask me, BN has not done enough to address this matter," said Shahrul Riduan Othman, a self-employed 27-year-old.

"The government may seem like they are doing things to help the people but for people like me and the lower income group, we feel otherwise," he added.

Saying that while he understands the government is not in a position to decide on the price of fuel - the main reason why goods prices increase - the sting of the rising prices of basis essentials was painful for the lower income groups.

"It’s easy for government leaders to say that we have to change our lifestyle and adapt to the current economic condition. So why don’t they come up with policies that will ease the burden of the people?" he asked.

A local, Shahrul was one of the many Kapar residents that Malaysiakini spoke to for feedback on the coming general election and primary issues that will influence their voting choice.

The majority of the Malays and Indians in Kapar are engaged by the labour sector of the town’s industrial area while the Chinese community occupies the business segment.

Rusli Zainal is one of the few Malays in Kapar that left the factories and started up his own business - a burger stall - to help generate income for him and his wife.

For him, the price hikes have made it more difficult for him to survive on the meager income he makes from his burger business and he felt that this was caused by government policies.

"The government is no longer functioning as the savior of the people. It is becoming more and more difficult to survive these days when the prices of goods are constantly rising. What is the government doing?" he lamented.

Both Sharul and Rusli were reluctant to say who they will vote for on March 8 saying they preferred to keep it ‘a secret’.

Ee Ah Ooi 43, who owns a hair saloon, was, however, less than shy to say that she supports BN and would vote for them.

"Still, I think the price hikes matter is a problem for everyone here and I think BN should do more to tackle this problem," she said.

When asked whether she thought her incumbent MP had done enough for the constituency, she said she could not answer the question as ‘doesn’t know much about politics’.

Kapar is definitely one the seats to watch in the run-up to the March 8 polls. While there is a strong pro-opposition sentiment among the Malay and Chinese electorate, the Indian voters could well decide who actually wins.

This parliamentary constituency has always seen the dominance of BN’s MIC unchallenged though this might see a change this year, according to the opposition candidate S Manickavasagam (right) of PKR.

Manickavasagam will face off with incumbent P Komala Devi from the MIC. The latter won the seat by a landslide majority of 14, 588 votes in the 2004 elections.

Kapar has 112,224 registered voters with Malays forming the majority at 51.4 percent and Chinese at 35.4 percent.

Indians make up 13 percent, spread mainly throughout the oil palm plantations and the factory sector. With an average household income of about only RM900, it is not too difficult to understand why the recent price increases for goods have not gone down well here.