Galloping pace for Mah in Jerlun

The sentiments in Jerlun new village have warmed up. Local greeting Dr Mah as he walks about in Jerlun.

A shift in Chinese sentiment is shaping up in the Chinese new village of Jerlun which was the epicentre of opposition support just a few years ago.

IT was quite a unique phenomenon – 3pm on a scorching afternoon and ear-splitting karaoke music was blasting from somewhere within a building in the Chinese new village of Jerlun.

A faded sign above the double-storey building says “Persatuan Murid2 Tua”. No need to scratch your head over that - it is the local interpretation of “school alumni”.

Downstairs is a coffeeshop and a recreation room dominated by a karaoke set and upstairs is where the “Murid2 Tua” hang out in the afternoons, playing mahjong and drinking Chinese tea.

And, man oh man, the last time these grizzled ladies and gentlemen were in a classroom must have been at least 60 years ago. Life here is tough but it must also be healthy because these super senior citizens have nice, clear skin despite deep wrinkles from their days under the sun.

Perak MCA chairman and Chenderiang assemblyman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon was making his way through the mahjong tables, shaking hands and making small talk. His shirt was drenched with sweat from his house-to-house campaign.

Then, he went down and attempted a karaoke number – not a bad voice and probably the first time he was singing karaoke in the heat of the afternoon.

The Jerlun new village is what one journalist calls the “epicentre” of DAP support. Life here is not easy but there are signs of new creature comforts.

There are many new brick homes, smooth tiled floors have replaced bare cement floors while box TVs are slowly making way for flat screens. There are no security issues and one owner had gone out with his door left ajar.

But there is something in the air this time around – the coldness that Barisan Nasional encountered in 2013 has dissipated.

There were still lukewarm and sullen responses as Dr Mah went door-to-door but these were surpassed by the warm welcomes.

Back in 2013, people did not even want to open their doors or come to the gate but now, they flung open their doors and came out with big smiles to strike up conversation with Dr Mah and to pose for selfies showing the thumbs-up.

Some of them behaved as though he was the candidate.

As he was about to go into the coffeeshop, a middle-aged lady passing by on a motorcycle called out “Dato Mah” at the top of her voice.

A few days earlier, he had lunch at the home of one of the villagers who used to be a DAP sympathiser. Another villager who had campaigned hard for the PAS candidate in 2013 is also now campaigning alongside Dr Mah.

Just three years ago, the folk here did not even want to go near Barisan but now, some of the younger people were going around wearing the blue Barisan cap.

Times have changed, as they say. A lot of it has to do with a deep disappointment over supporting PAS and the fact that they do not know what Amanah is about.

Amanah is so foreign in these parts that DAP campaigners in orange shirts have to walk around with huge placards bearing the Amanah logo next to an “X”. It was to show the locals where to cross their ballot papers on June 18.

A major factor for the shift has been the way Dr Mah has exercised his clout and commitment as a state exco member.

He managed to get approval and funds from the state government for a community hall that the villagers have been asking for. It was a big coup on his part because it would be erected on state land by the main road and it will be the new pride of the village.

That helped turn around many of the villagers.

The villagers then launched a signature campaign to show their support for the project. The support was overwhelming and a vegetable seller later told Dr Mah that someone spread a rumour that he did not sign the petition and his vegetable stall was boycotted that day.

A fortnight earlier, Dr Mah managed to get 37 Chinese NGOs in Kuala Kangsar to endorse Barisan.

These NGOs do not have many members but they reflect the community’s sentiment.

“I am putting my reputation on the line. I am confident Jerlun will come along with us this time,” said Dr Mah, who is also the election director.

In 2013, Barisan lost in the ballot boxes for Jerlun by more than 500 votes as locals opted for PAS.

But one man living on the fringe of the village said: “We don’t simply oppose; we also look at issues.”

Dr Mah’s message to the Chinese is straight to the point. He told them that the Chinese have to empower MCA if they want to stop laws like PAS’ hudud bill.

His argument was that PAS was empowered by DAP’s endorsement in the last two elections and now, with a reduced Chinese voice in Barisan, such laws are able to go ahead.

He said that the outcome of the Kuala Kangsar polls will set the tone on the extent to which he would be able to help the Chinese in other parts of Perak.

“Your vote will decide whether I will have that voice in the state government,” he said.

He also told them that Amanah and PAS share the same DNA.

“Papaya seeds, no matter how much fertiliser you give, cannot bear durians,” he said.

The Jerlun new village has the biggest concentration of Chinese in one place and the outcome of the vote here will be an important indicator of the shift in Chinese political sentiment.