IPOH, March 31 — Brothers Chin Kwai Heng and Chin Kwai Leong were just farmers, but the duo will now run for office in Perak under the Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM) after years of raising issues of farming land in the state.
Older brother Chin Kwai Heng, 52, will be running for the Tronoh seat, while Chin Kwai Leong, 45, will be contesting the Menglembu seat — both under the Batu Gajah parliamentary constituency.
Four years ago, the brothers were part of a farmers group, known as the “Coalition to Save Perak Farmers and Breeders”, who were facing eviction from their farms across Siputeh and Tronoh which had been built on state land.
The farmers were undocumented as they had no grants, but said they had been farming on the land for decades while contributing to the country’s food supply.
After PSM helped them throughout their case — which is still in the courts — the brothers decided to join the party as they felt it was the best avenue to help others.
“We knew it was an uphill task to fight the evictions, but PSM stayed with us and helped us throughout the process. We were inspired by this and wanted to join their fight,” Kwai Heng told Malay Mail here.
“They had a lot of spirit and they never asked for any help in return. We want to help them have a voice in the legislative assembly on behalf of all the people we represent, including the farmers.”
The brothers will be facing another uphill battle, as they are contesting seats that were won easily by DAP in the last elections.
In Menglembu, incumbent assemblyman Lim Pek Har notched up an easy win by 16,799 votes, while Yong Choo Kiong won Tronoh by 6,191 votes.
Chinese voters make up the majority in both seats — 62.3 per cent in Tronoh and 90 per cent in Menglembu.
But the brothers were not fazed, keeping faith in the positive feedback coming from voters.
Kwai Heng proudly says that a party dinner organised in Tronoh drew around 500 people — when he initially expected much less to turn up.
“When I started work two years ago, nobody knew who we were. But we kept pushing, and things are looking much better,” added younger brother Kwai Leong.
“I look at it this way: if you have two apples that are rotten, why can’t you choose an orange or a pineapple? Why must you only have two political parties to choose from when a third choice can do much better for you?”
While they are known for their farming activism, both brothers say that they will not be biased towards the agriculture industry’s needs if elected.
“There can always be a balance between farming, development, and other industries if we communicate well and work towards a solution,” Kwai Heng said.
“It is about drafting the right policies, because well thought-out policies always prevent problems,” added Kwai Leong.
