Slim majority not a concern for PH candidate in Bukit Batu

KULAI: Despite winning by only 137 votes in the last Johor state election, Pakatan Harapan’s Bukit Batu candidate, Arthur Chiong, remains confident of retaining the seat this time around.

Chiong said the contest should be judged based on what each party can offer voters, including its policies, manifesto, and ability to safeguard their welfare.

“This state election is not about race and religion, but about what we can offer the people.

“From an economic perspective, the focus is on how we can protect the interests of the people and improve their livelihoods,” the PKR man told FMT.

In the 2022 Johor election, Chiong, 36, polled 9,439 votes in a four-cornered contestm defeating Barisan Nasional’s S Suppayah, who obtained 9,302 votes, Perikatan Nasional’s Tan Heng Choon (3,989 votes) and Warisan’s Lee Ming Wen (1,349 votes).

On Juy 11, he will be involved in a five-cornered contest against BN’s RK Kumaran, Muda’s M Premanand, Parti Bersama Malaysia’s G Tamili and independent candidate Kamaruzaman Ali.

Asked if he was concerned that Bersama was making its Bukit Batu debut in this election, Chiong said every party has its own strengths and weaknesses.

He said the priority is to keep the election machinery actively engaging voters throughout the campaign period.

Bersama leader Rafizi Ramli previously said his party was gunning for the same segment of voters that make up the bulk of PH’s support – progressive-minded voters.

According to Chiong, PH’s campaign adopts an inclusive approach by reaching out to people from all walks of life, regardless of their background.

The Kulai native said his close ties with the local community remain one of his greatest strengths.

“I’m a Kulai local. My mother is from Kelapa Sawit, so I’ve always been close to the people here,” he said.

“Whoever our opponents are, I hope everyone will campaign in a healthy and positive manner.”

Bukit Batu is a Chinese-majority seat, wkth voters from the community making up about 53.4%, followed by Malays (36.5%), Indians (8.4%) and others (1.7%).