KUALA KUBU BAHARU – Indian voters here are disillusioned by the hollow promises of politicians vying for their votes for the by-election taking place this Saturday.
Out of over 40,000 eligible constituents of the small township, nestled within the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat, just 18% count themselves as members of the Indian community.
Speaking to Scoop, several Indian locals voiced their frustration with politicians and their unfulfilled manifesto pledges to uplift the livelihoods of the minority group.
Suseela Mundyandi, a 52-year-old single mother, expressed her disillusionment, stating that she had relinquished hope in social welfare after receiving no assistance. She lamented the neglect faced by many Indians from the state government, citing her own struggles as a testament.
“I used to apply for government aid, hoping that something good would come. Now I have given up (applying), since there is no (specific) welfare assistance available for us (Indians) here.
“I am a single mother, my husband passed away nine years ago, but no government aid was approved for me,” she said.
Meanwhile, Deepa Balakrishnan, 40, a textile shop owner in the Kuala Kubu Baharu township, debunked exaggerated claims circulating on social media. She revealed that while some individuals receive state assistance, many, including herself, are overlooked.
“Whatever complaints people bring on social media are not completely true. Some people are being helped (by the state government) and some aren’t. Like me, I have never benefited from any of the government’s initiatives.”
Deepa highlighted a potential bias in aid distribution, noting instances where certain individuals received repeated assistance while many others were neglected, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“For example, during the lockdown, the government helped the locals (Indians) here by giving provisions, but the issue here is that some were helped multiple times. They could have helped many more people, but only some were helped repeatedly.
“I personally feel that this is quite unfair because they could have helped many others. It’s unjust that only a select few receive aid repeatedly, while others are left struggling,” she said, adding that there is also no visibility about the distribution of government aid.
Her remarks reflect what former Klang MP Charles Santiago said last week, about an apparent gap between the Indian community in Kuala Kubu Baharu and programmes by the state government meant to reach them.
“They are not aware of or have not received the state’s welfare initiatives like capacity building and entrepreneurial efforts to address income and poverty issues,” the DAP politician said.
In contrast, Devadass Nagalinggam, 68, a grocery shop owner said people can walk-in to the state assembly office and state their needs, but social media and cutting-edge technology have created a platform for people to explore and learn about a wide range of topics, including information about government-funded programmes.
“Some are saying that they are not aware of the government aid. I don’t agree with them. There is a lot of information we can see online.
“Even on TikTok, they do share information like this. The B40 (low-income group) people can use social media to air their needs.
“If you want help, you need to go to the Adun (assemblyman) office and ask for it,” said Devadass.
He also stressed that Indians should stop depending on welfare assistance from the government and should work hard for their wellbeing.
The curse of joblessness
A prevalent concern among the Indian populace here is rampant unemployment, particularly among the youth.
Jude Thaddaeus, a 50-year-old local, highlighted the dire consequences of unemployment, citing its role in driving young Indians towards gangsterism and alcoholism.
He claimed that their lack of education and unstable sources of income, coupled with the rising costs of living, were the reasons for their involvement in gangsterism.
Since Hulu Selangor attained municipal status in 2021, living expenses have surged, mirroring Kuala Lumpur’s cost of living, according to Jude.
“Although I’m in a regular job, it’s been hard for me financially. How about the B40 people? How are they going to survive?
“The young generation here is jobless and going in the wrong direction, such as with gangsterism and alcoholism. Those who are educated migrate to Kuala Lumpur or some other places for better job opportunities, but those who are uneducated are stuck here and jobless,” said the computer engineer who works in Sunway, Petaling Jaya.
Suseela, a 38-year resident, decried the state government’s apathy towards educational support, which is crucial for uplifting the Indian community.
“There is a lack of help from the state government for students. For example, I have tried to apply for Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) for my son, who scored well in the public exam, but there was a lack of response from the Adun office back then.
“Although my son was eligible to enter MRSM, we felt neglected as no support was given from the Adun.
“I am not sure about the other races, but the unemployment rate among the Indians here is quite high, as my daughter is also facing a similar issue now,” she said.
Unfamiliar with MIPP, lack of genuine representation
Curiously, local Indians remain oblivious to the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP), a newly formed party under the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.
However, Deepa said that she does not trust PN to look out for the people’s welfare, claiming that Hulu Selangor MP Mohd Hasnizan Harun from PAS has not engaged with the public since gaining his parliamentary seat.
“I am not aware of MIPP. I don’t know if there is an Indian party under PN, yet I don’t have much to say about PN.
“Our parliamentary seat is under PN now, and I have never seen the MP helping the people here, especially the Indians. I don’t know if he even helps the people (from other communities).”
She also said the coalition’s candidate for this by-election might have the same “neglecting” attitude as the MP, who is also PN’s chief for Hulu Selangor.
Devadass said that an “outsider” had approached him to talk about MIPP, but he was not interested.
“I didn’t know about MIPP until someone came and talked to me about it. When an outsider comes here and talks, we just listen, but I don’t have much to say about that party,” he said.
Suseela said the Indian community in Kuala Kubu Baharu is tired of politicians, especially Indian leaders, who come here only for their personal gain, adding that their engagement with the locals here is “not genuine.”
“These Indian politicians will be here for a while only now (because of the election). After their job is done, they will all be gone like ‘lightning’ because this is the reality every time during the elections here.”
She highlighted her dissatisfaction with the politicians’ “short-term care” of helping the community only in the run-up to the elections.
“Sometimes I just feel angry when I see these (Indian) politicians giving speeches here because, after the election, they are not going to come and see the affected people here.
“Let’s say they give provisions (of items) on one occasion, will that help the people for the next four years? The answer is no, so why not always do (good things) by helping people with their needs?” she asked.
She said that in honour of the late incumbent Lee Kee Hiong’s legacy of genuine concern, the public demands a representative dedicated to the welfare of Kuala Kubu Baharu’s residents.
Lee had retained the seat for DAP since winning it in 2013, until her death in March due to ovarian cancer.
The Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11 will see a four-cornered fight between Pang Sock Tao (Pakatan Harapan), Khairul Azhari Saut (PN), Hafizah Zainudin (Parti Rakyat Malaysia), and Nyau Ke Xin (independent). – May 8, 2024