Buntong's Indians playing the role of kingmakers

B Mahendran Mar 1, 08 2:20pm
Buntong, in Perak, is the constituency with the most number of Indian voters - standing at about 10,340 voters (or about 46 percent) of the total 21,930 voters - in Malaysia. And the grassroots sentiments among the Indian community this time around makes the election contest in this state seat an interesting one to watch.Feelings on the ground is filled with Hindraf sentiment, with claims of Indian marginalisation is well alive in every corner of Buntong. Dissatisfaction towards the ruling BN and Umno has now been turned into hatred towards the MIC and its chief, S Samy Vellu. Just few weeks ago, a group of youths threw eggs at both MIC Perak chief G Rajoo and Perak Mentri Besar Tajol Rosli Ghazali at a function here. While both the politicians deny being hit, eyewitnesses said at least one egg hit the MIC man.It is this anger that the DAP is trying to turn into its favour to capture this state seat from MCA, and the opposition party’s task is made easier with incumbent Yik Phooi Hong moving onto the Ipoh Barat Parliament seat.DAP’s A Sivasubramaniam will be trying to win the seat at his second attempt on March 8, against the ruling party’s Lee Tung Lai (BN). In 2004, he lost to Yik, known as the ‘Buntong Tiger’ by 2,382-vote majority. On Wednesday night, DAP big guns Lim Kit Siang (incumbent at neighbouring Ipoh Timur parliamentary seat) and Kulasegaran (incumbent at Ipoh Barat) gave a ceramah in Buntong, easily attracting 1,000 people, mostly Indians. Shouts of 'Makkal Sakthi' filled the air and every time the ceramah touched on Indian issues, large sections of the crowd nod, agreeing with the familiarity of such cases.