The great Petaling Jaya Utara showdown
Malaysiakini.com
Mar 07, 2008
Soon Li Tsin

It is set to fall to DAP! No, Barisan Nasional will retain it but with a smaller majority! MCPX

The buzz on the ground is evident - voters are still split in the diverse urban seat of Petaling Jaya Utara (PJU) and are torn between two formidable candidates.

petaling jaya utara parliamentary seatAs polling begins in less than 24 hours, an extremely close fight is predicted in the battle between Barisan Nasional incumbent Chew Mei Fun and DAP’s Tony Pua Kiam Wee.

However , the odds are stacked against two-term incumbent Chew due to several factors resulting in a swing of voters to the opposition likely.

A swing is expected from thousands of church voters who have gained momentum in expressing their displeasure over the ‘Allah’ and bible-confiscating scandals.

The affluent and English-speaking voters with national issues being their main concerns are also like to swing in the opposition’s favour.

MCA insiders have said that Chew’s campaign took a blow after Malaysiakini’s question time report surfaced showing startling differences between her answers and Pua’s.

The impact on voters connected to the Internet has been immense, according to the source.

The deputy Wanita MCA chief will be relying heavily on her track record which boasts of community work and her impressive reputation in responding to her constituents’ grouses.

MCA’s internal spat

Meanwhile, the fielding of two new MCA faces in the state seats has caused quite an internal spat which have affected the machinery for the candidates campaign.

chew mei fun sos damansara visit 200208 victor guThe Damansara Utama state seat is set to fall into the opposition’s hands due to the internal dissatisfaction in the party for fielding newcomer Victor Gu Chian Peow (photo).

Many are angry with the party for picking Gu over many other senior party members.

Gu will be facing DAP’s Dr Cheah Wing Yin, a consultant psychiatrist, who is also a newbie.

Cheah lacks the oratory skills compared to Gu but will most likely be relying on the anti-BN sentiments amongst the Chinese majority upper-middle class to bag a victory.

However, the Kampung Tunku state seat is harder to predict despite a similar internal discontent occurring with former Petaling Jaya town councillor Sheah Kok Fah replacing incumbent Dr Wong Sai Hou.  

BN’s past track record

Lawyer Sheah is going against Lau Weng San who is no stranger to politics, having been political secretary to DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang for a few years now.

Sheah and Gu’s machinery has relied heavily on Chew’s. They have been riding on Chew’s popularity in order to win this crucial election which will determine both their political careers.

Local issues dominate all their campaigns notably crime and cost of living but the DAP campaign trail has been highlighting national issues, striking a chord with the voters who often nod in unison at their crowded ceramahs.

The BN will rely heavily on their past track records and their interpersonal relationship with the voters but the mood shows PJU residents are asking for more wholesome governance.

The scales tip in DAP’s favour this time and their fate for the next five years will be sealed when 76,618 PJU voters hit the polls tomorrow.

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