Siti Kasim is joining the race as an independent candidate.
Siti Kasim, Tian Chua and Prabakaran among likely candidates in hotspot area
THE Batu constituency is shaping up to be an exciting one to watch as Siti Kasim, the human rights activist with a robust personality, and a social media influencer have thrown their candidacy hat into the 15th general election (GE15) ring, while former MP Tian Chua from PKR may return to vie for the seat.
Of the two independent candidates, Siti – whose full name is Siti Zabedah Kasim – is arguably the bigger name.
It has been known since end of last year that the lawyer would contest in GE15 as part of the Gerak Independent candidates although the seat was not specified until this February.
The 59-year-old said constituents wanted bread-and-butter issues, such as the rising cost of living, to be addressed.
Another independent candidate is Nur Fathiah Syazwana who recently declared her intention to run in Batu, centred on the theme #ResetBatu.
She announced it on Oct 16 to her more than 26,000 followers on Twitter, while simultaneously launching her elections machinery and calling for Paca (polling/counting agents).
Based on information from her social media, Nur Fathiah is a single mother of two.
She is of Malay, Chinese and Dutch parentage.
Political pundits are waiting to see if Tian Chua will step into the ring in Batu.
Meanwhile, the constituents and political pundits alike are waiting to see whether Tian Chua or incumbent P. Prabakaran will win the lobby to stand in Batu as PKR’s candidate.
Both have been vocal about their interest to represent the party, causing tensions within the division.
A source from the Batu PKR said Prabakaran was seen as more approachable and energetic, especially at the grassroots level.
“He is getting to be well-known. No doubt he still has a lot to learn but he seems to be willing to do it.
“On the other hand, Tian Chua is seen as the veteran, well-versed in taking on the bigger opponents,” said the source.
Prabakaran, 26, is currently the youngest MP.
Tian Chua, who was Batu MP for two terms prior to GE14, was disqualified as a candidate by the Election Commission returning officer on account of a RM2,000 fine imposed on him for a criminal case in 2017.
He then endorsed the then independent candidate Prabakaran, who joined PKR after the 2018 elections.
In 2019, the High Court ruled that Tian Chua’s disqualification as a GE14 candidate was invalid and that he was free to contest in future elections.
Prabakaran too is keen to defend his seat.
It is also interesting to note that Tian Chua lost to Prabakaran in the fight for the Batu PKR division chief’s post during the party elections this year.
As for the Barisan Nasional coalition, the door is left wide open since Gerakan, which had contested under the Barisan banner from the time Batu was established as a constituency in 1984, left the coalition in 2018 after GE14.
In 2021, Gerakan joined Perikatan Nasional.
It is learnt that MIC has aspirations to contest the Batu seat, which has one of the largest number of Indian voters in the peninsula.
Batu MIC division chief Dr Pala Kumaran said its members had been active on the ground for many years, despite not having contested the seat before.
“The constituents know our work and we have been helping them, especially over the past several years during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We have also supported the previous Barisan candidates, despite Gerakan losing the seat since 2008.
“MIC has not contested in any of the Kuala Lumpur parliamentary seats and it is the right time for us to be allowed the chance,” he said, adding that three or four names had been shortlisted as potential candidates.
Talk is that MIC's Rajah may contest in Batu.
However, Pala said that MIC members would support any candidate picked by the Barisan leadership.
There is talk that Federal Territories MIC chairman Datuk S. Rajah could be fielded should MIC be given a chance.
Rajah, when contacted, declined to comment on his possible candidacy, saying only that negotiations were ongoing.
“Nothing is final until the leadership decides,” he said.
It was also reported that Barisan is keen to field a candidate from a non-governmental organisation.
It is also speculated that Gerakan may not decide to contest the seat, leaving it open to the other Perikatan component parties, including Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and PAS.
Batu, a constituency of 20sq km, has 115,000 registered voters. An additional 40,000 first-timers are expected to cast their ballots in GE15.
In GE14, Prabakaran trumped Barisan candidate Datuk Dr Dominic Lau by 24,438 votes.
The battle in Batu was four-cornered with Lau garnering 13,687 votes, while Batu PAS chief Azhar Yahya managed to get 10,610.
Another independent candidate Datuk Panjamorthy Muthusamy had 383 votes.
