Malaysia PM Najib comes bearing gifts to Mahathir’s election battleground Langkawi
Malaysia's incumbent Prime Minister Najib Razak visits Langkawi on May 4, 2018, to campaign for his ruling coalition Barisan Nasional. (Photo: Pichayada Promchertchoo)
LANGKAWI, Kedah: A visit to Langkawi by Malaysia’s incumbent Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday (May 4) would probably not have caught so much media attention if it had not been for the fact that the island paradise will turn into a battleground for his arch rival next week.
Come May 9, close to 15 million Malaysians will determine if Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN), the world’s longest ruling coalition, will see the end of its golden era.
In Langkawi, BN faces a tough battle against the Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) and opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan. For the first time in history, the opposition’s reins are placed in the experienced hands of Mahathir Mohamad – a former prime minister and once a key pillar of BN.
For the islanders of Langkawi, Mahathir is known as the man who transformed its poor communities into a world-class tourist destination. His 22 years in power while leading UMNO – a core member of BN – played a significant role in the island’s economic growth and development.
With four more days until the 14th general election, the 92-year-old is giving it his all to turn the people of Langkawi, as well as the rest of Malaysia, against his old party. His ultimate goal is Najib removed from the prime minister’s seat after nine years at the helm.
But the current UMNO leader came prepared on Friday for a fierce battle against his ex-mentor and his enduring legacy.
“I want to tell the people of Langkawi that I – the Prime Minister and a representative of Barisan Nasional – am very committed to the future of Langkawi,” Najib told his supporters at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre.
To reflect the commitment, I’ll present some of the latest initiatives we’re going to do in the next five years.
The list is long, and expensive. There are 18 initiatives to be realised in the next five years. All for Langkawi.
The projects range from a US$25 million allocation for SME Bank to offer loans with subsidised interest to a US$3 million support for the Langkawi Tourism Academy, a US$50,800 premium outlet, grants worth up to US$2,540 each for 200 entrepreneurs, a new trading hub, a bigger airport, a cleaner sewage system and special Wi-Fi packages.
There are many more.
The message is clear – more prosperity, better lives and a brighter future will come to Langkawi when it gives BN a mandate to make it happen.
“These are our plans for Langkawi Island. We will fully deliver them,” Najib said.
“It’s all up to you to consider on May 9. Hopefully good news is there for us – not on May 10 but the night of May 9.”
MAHATHIR’S FACTOR
Prior to his evening speech, incumbent Najib paid a visit to a local shopping venue on Pantai Chenang Road.
Dressed in his ruling coalition BN’s colour of dark blue, the 64-year-old was all smiles as he greeted local residents at Telaga Walk. His walkabout, as it turned out, was far from relaxing with a troop of journalists and bodyguards in tow.
Still Najib waved and shook hands with a few supporters. He also gave a cuddle to a two-year-old Malaysian cat named Tuah, before sampling local delicacies such as cucur udang and mango sticky rice.
His afternoon campaign went on for about an hour before he sped off in his shiny black car. Lining his campaign trail were BN’s flags billowing in the summer breeze, along with dozens more.
Some bore a lighter shade of blue and a shape of an eye in the centre, flanked by two red stripes. They belong to the opposition People’s Justice Party. Others were green with a perfect white circle at the heart - those of PAS.
Their colourful presence underlines a three-cornered fight which political analysts say could show how many people on the resort island actually support the ruling coalition.
“A commonly held position is that most Malays have deep party loyalty to UMNO and PAS, overlooking that such loyalty might be more driven by their patronising and anti-establishment functions,” political scientist Wong Chin Huat from the think-tank Penang Institute told Channel NewsAsia.
In the previous election, Najib’s UMNO beat the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) by more than 11,000 votes in Langkawi. If UMNO’s support is largely based on party loyalty, Wong added, the ruling coalition should largely be able to cling to those votes.
On the streets of Langkawi, there has been a shift in loyalty among voters. One of them is a 68-year-old taxi driver who no longer trusts the ruling coalition.
His biggest disappointment is its implementation of the 6 per cent Goods and Services Tax in 2015.
“When I see Najib cheat people this way, I can’t support anymore. Our money is gone,” he said, adding the coalition is not as strong as it once was.
Many UMNO members have run away.
Without the voters’ loyalty, BN could see its seats swept away in the upcoming election. According to Wong, Mahathir’s influence looms large even outside his Langkawi constituency.
“A Mahathir victory would mean at least a turnover of nearly 6,000 votes. If Mahathir wins with a reversed landslide, it would mean Malay voters are more instrumental than loyal, or at least their loyalty is more to the personality than to the party,” he said.
“While Langkawi is a special case with Mahathir as candidate, Mahathir's factor is way beyond this constituency.”
