With change at their fingertips, Tasek Gelugor’s young struggling to decide

TASEK GELUGOR, Nov 17 — Shahril Iman simply wants a steady job that would allow him to rent a room and live on his own for now and start saving for the future. Yet, while knowing he could choose a lawmaker who could help make this a reality, he said he was unsure how he would vote.

Shahril, 20, left school two years ago to work across Kedah and Penang. But after struggling to find steady work, he eventually landed here in Tasek Gelugor where he got work as a labourer at a bundle store.

“Each bag is 100kg and has around 200 to 300 shirts in it, all bundled from Japan. I couldn’t find work elsewhere so I ended up here. People keep asking for experience but how to get experience as a first timer,” he told Malay Mail.

“With the election coming, I have an opportunity to vote for the first time, but I feel a lot of representatives seem to love themselves more and not the people and it’s disappointing. I want to vet some of these candidates and as far as I am concerned, the party they represent means nothing.”

Shahril is one of 2,663 men aged between 18 and 20 who could vote here in the 15th general election courtesy of the Undi18 movement. They were joined by 2,622 women of the same age who were also eligible to cast their ballots on Nov 19.

While the number may seem low in the seat with 80,868 voters, they would have changed the outcome of the previous election many times over as the incumbent, Datuk Shahbudin Yahaya, won by just 80 votes.

This time around, the former Umno lawmaker who defected to Bersatu after 2018 has been dropped, and the race for the seat is a five-way tussle between Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Muhamad Yusoff Mohd Noor, Perikatan Nasional’s Datuk Wan Saifulruddin Wan Jan, Pakatan Harapan’s Nik Abdul Razak Nik Md Ridzuan, Parti Warisan’s Mohamed Akmal Azhar, and Pejuang’s Abdul Halim Sher Jung.

Muhammad Fakrul Izani says his candidate must be someone who represented his race and religion first. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

For others such as Muhammad Fakrul Izani who, despite being 25, will be voting for the first time this year, said his decision was much simpler.

Met after he had just returned from a badminton session, he said he was eager to cast his ballot in this general election and was only concerned about one matter.

“I will vote for whomever is religious and looks after my race,” he told Malay Mail at the carpark of Rumah Pangsa Desa Sena, a low-cost housing scheme under the People’s Housing Projects (PPR) in Taman Pokok Desa Sena.

After that, he said it was down to them just showing up and being accessible.

“We’re not asking for a lot, you know. Just that he or she looks after our welfare.”

Daud will look to his parents for guidance on how to vote. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Another first-time voter who wished to be known only as Daud, 24, said he would vote but conceded that he did not know much about politics or anything about the candidates vying for his support.

Instead, he admitted he just will cast his ballot the way his elders tell him.

“I am excited to vote and I’ve been told to go and vote as it’s important but I cannot choose on my own and I’ll just follow the others,” he told Malay Mail.

According to the Election Commission (EC), the seat with 80,868 registered voters also has 18,041 voters between 21 and 29 years’ old. Together with the Undi18 group, they represented more than the votes Shahbudin received — 18,547 — to win in the previous election.

Yet their level of participation on Nov 19 remains uncertain.

To make matters worse, Tasek Gelugor was prone to flooding and voting here could be disrupted by the monsoonal weather in the country now.

When Malay Mail visited on Friday, five hours of rain caused Sungai Ayer Jerak to overflow, inundating parts of Seberang Prai Utara, Seberang Prai Tengah and Seberang Prai Selatan.

Four temporary flood evacuation centres (PPP) were activated at SJKC True Light in Perkampungan Juru, Dewan Orang Ramai Bukit Teh in Bukit Mertajam, Dewan Banjir Desa Puri in Tasek Gelugor and SK Lahar Yooi in Tasek Gelugor.

Villagers survey the water damage at their homes in Kampung Lahar Yooi. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

When Malay Mail visited Kampung Lahar Yooi, there were still 34 people in the PPP there who were unable to return to their homes as the flood had not receded.

One of the villagers Mohd Yasin, 27, said he would prefer a local representative but appeared to be cynical about his choices.

“I think the candidates from BN or PH or PN are all the same, so, if you ask me if I’d give someone else a chance, I would say they’re all the same. They decided to call for an election so what can I do?” he said.

The refrain was repeated when Malay Mail met others in the constituency, reinforcing some parties’ concern about calling a general election in the middle of the year-end monsoon season.

While young voters could elect a federal lawmaker who would to commit to addressing such issues, some such as Mohd Rafique, 36, expressed doubt that they would turn up on Nov 19.

Evacuees wait at a temporary flood relief centre in Lahar Yooi. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

Drying his clothes outside his home in Taman Desa Murni near Sungai Dua, the 36-year-old said the youngest of the group were unlikely to realise the power in their hands.

“You can never predict what an 18-year-old will do. The 21-year-olds are more mature, but 18? Come on, man, they only want to hang out, speed on their bikes without helmets and acting crazy, going to the cinemas and playing the fool.

“How many of the 18-year-olds are mature enough to think about important matters? None. They want to enjoy themselves so they will vote for the one who makes them happy,” he told Malay Mail.

As for his choice, he said he was completely behind PAS, who was being represented by Wan Saiful as part of PN.

“Unlike Umno, PAS doesn’t have this warlord system where eventually only the cronies of these warlords will benefit big time money wise, privileges and power. PAS doesn’t have this system and you must prove yourself from the grassroots and earn your position the right way.

“PAS isn’t corrupt like Umno hence my choice is easy,” he added.