LEMBAH Pantai has always been a hot seat in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
It is one of the most diverse constituencies in the federal capital as the demographic encompasses residents from the B40 group, middle income earners and the super-rich.
Hence, it is not surprising that Lembah Pantai is one of the keenly watched seats in the 15th General Election (GE15).
Prior to the dissolution of Parliament, the seat was held by PKR communications chief Fahmi Fadzil who defeated Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin and PAS candidate Fauzi Abu Bakar in the 2018 general election.
The constituency covers areas like Bangsar, Bangsar South, Pantai Dalam and Kerinchi, as well as some parts of Jalan Kelang Lama like Kampung Muhibbah, Taman Sentosa, 4th Mile Jalan Kelang Lama and Kampung Pasir.
In the last redelineation exercise in 2018, the Tasik Perdana voting district was added to Lembah Pantai, bringing with it some 6,500 voters.
Two of Lembah Pantai’s polling districts, Kampung Bahagia and Kampung Bohol, were moved to Seputeh.
This seat, which had always been a Barisan stronghold, gained national prominence in 2008 when PKR’s Nurul Izzah Anwar caused an upset when she beat Barisan’s Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil, who was then a federal minister and the incumbent.
The constituency has one of the highest number of low-cost housing schemes in Kuala Lumpur.
Nurul Izzah repeated the feat in 2013 against Raja Nong Chik, who was also a federal minister.
Her win coincided with a shift in city folks’ expectations and perception of what a good government should encapsulate.
Kuala Lumpur residents were becoming involved in the way their city was run. And at the community level, they wanted to be consulted on matters that concerned them, especially if it was happening in their backyard.
This resulted in a seismic shift at the ballot box in 2008.
That was when, for the first time in history, the Opposition took control of 10 out of 11 seats in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur.
Apart from grappling with bread-and-butter issues, voters wanted to see an improvement in the services and administration of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and other government agencies.
They were not interested in big names in politics, but wanted leaders who were accountable, had integrity and who were not tainted by corruption.
Roadside traders operating near the bridge across Apartment Putra Ria in Kampung Abdullah Hukum near Mid Valley. Lembah Pantai voters want authorities to clamp down on unlicensed businesses. — Filepic
“You have a diverse range of people living here who are educated, vocal and noisy, and they have high expectations from their MP and local council,” said a resident who did not wish to be named.
“Overdevelopment, flash floods, hygiene issues and clogged drains are daily occurrences in Lembah Pantai, and the people who live here want the MP to address their plight, solve the problems and not give excuses,” said the Umno representative from the local division.
A PKR member who lives in the area and did not wish to be identified, also agreed.
“We have to work hard and be proactive. Lembah Pantai is challenging and our MP works hard, but people want results and solutions and if they don’t get it, they are not going to take no for an answer,’’ he added.
Businessman G. Tan, who owns a sundry shop in Bangsar, hopes to see changes in administrative and management issues irrespective of who wins.
“Everything is political in Kuala Lumpur, where the Federal Territories Minister makes all the crucial decisions.
“We hope that whoever wins this time, they will stop interfering in local issues and DBKL matters, or look into implementing local government elections in Kuala Lumpur,” Tan added.
Alam Flora worker Lokman Subarman, who lives in Pantai Dalam, said people there wished for a sustainable and wholesome life.
“If things were bad before, it is worse now,” he said, referring to the unlicensed traders who have mushroomed all over the area.
“My drains are clogged due to food being thrown into them, and this has caused the rat population to increase.
“We want better living conditions and a chance to earn a decent living.
“But we also want the authorities to clamp down on illegal businesses operating here. The future MP should just do their job,’’ added Lokman.
Guessing game intensifies
After the Election Commission (EC) announced the nomination and polling day to be on Nov 5 and Nov 19 respectively, Umno, PAS, PKR, DAP, Bersatu and Amanah have ramped up lobbying for candidates in the Lembah Pantai constituency.
Names are being thrown around and submitted during meetings among the various political parties.
There is talk that Khairy may contest in Lembah Pantai.
It is learnt that Umno has submitted five names to the Barisan leadership as potential candidates.
According to Umno sources, some of them are not even from the Lembah Pantai Umno division.
Talk is rife that the names being considered are supreme council member Datuk Mohd Razlan Rafii (who is also Seputeh Umno vice-chairman), Raja Nong Chik and Datuk Tengku Zuhri Tengku Abdul Aziz, who is Lembah Pantai Umno vice-chairman.
However, a source from Federal Territories (FT) Umno told StarMetro that during the discussion, incumbent Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin’s name was mentioned as a possible candidate for Lembah Pantai.
Khairy gave up the Rembau parliamentary seat to Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan to contest in GE15.
Mohamad had also said that the party did not want to lose Khairy, whom he described as a young leader of calibre, and that Umno would look for a suitable seat for him.
“Khairy is a suitable choice for Lembah Pantai and it is quite possible (he could contest there),’’ added the source.
When contacted, Raja Nong Chik, who had contested in the area twice — in 2013 and 2018 and had lost both times — said he personally felt that the younger generation should be given a chance to contest in Lembah Pantai for the elections.
Raja Nong Chik feels the younger generation should be given a chance to contest in Lembah Pantai.
“Frankly, we need younger people to contest, and if the Barisan leadership wants younger people to contest in Lembah Pantai, I will support them.”
When asked if he would contest again, Raja Nong Chik said: “If they want me to be a candidate again, I will do it. But I still think we need younger people.”
The 69-year-old former Federal Territories minister, however, reiterated his stand that the division was not open to outsiders contesting in Lembah Pantai.
Former PAS candidate for the Lembah Pantai seat in 2018, Fauzi Abu Bakar said the leadership had not finalised the list of candidates when asked if he was considering contesting again in the area.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said he was ready to defend Lembah Pantai if given the mandate by his party.
