JEMPOL: Eight years after leaving elected office, former Kapar MP G. Manivanan (pic) is seeking a return to politics in a constituency he calls home.
For the 51-year-old, contesting Jeram Padang is deeply personal.
Although his family settled in Kajang, his mother was born in Padang Jeram and much of his childhood was spent travelling between the two towns.
He had personally asked PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to let him contest the seat after sharing his family’s connection to the area.
For Manivanan, the campaign is less about entering a new constituency than returning to one that helped shape him.
His campaign centres on bread-and-butter issues, particularly long-standing water supply disruptions, deteriorating infrastructure, employment opportunities and transport connectivity.
He said residents in parts of Jeram Padang, especially Sungai Raya, have faced water cuts lasting up to five days, while others continue to face low water pressure and recurring supply disruptions.
Beyond addressing basic infrastructure, Manivanan believes the constituency’s location presents untapped economic potential.
Bordering Melaka, Johor and Pahang, Jeram Padang could become a transport hub linking four states if rail connectivity were expanded, he said, arguing that better infrastructure would encourage investment, create jobs and make it easier for young people to remain in the area instead of seeking work elsewhere.
He also wants greater focus on creating quality employment with what he described as “dignified salaries”, saying too many young people continue to leave in search of better opportunities.
The constituency’s needs, he added, extend beyond towns to Felda and Felcra settlements, former estate communities and Orang Asli villages, all of which should benefit from balanced development.
For a politician attempting a comeback after nearly a decade outside elected office, Manivanan says the motivation is not simply to win another seat.
“It is about going back home,” he said.
