KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Datuk Seri Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin has sardonically adopted his rival’s slogan from the 13th general election for his current campaign, at once mocking their failure and conveying his own return.
Co-opting the defunct Pakatan Rakyat’s “Ini Kalilah! (This time!)” from five years ago, the Barisan Nasional candidate has reversed this to “Kali Inilah (This is the time!)” for his bid to regain the Lembah Pantai seat for the coalition.
While his motto may say now is his time, Nong Chik has in fact been spending nearly all his time here since losing to PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar in 2013, who kept her seat by 1,847 votes.
And like his reinvention of the old Pakatan Rakyat slogan, Nong Chik has also remade himself in much the same way — different enough to address old grouses yet still familiar enough to not be alien.
Once considered aloof, the former Federal Territories minister now presents himself as an approachable — even avuncular — leader who understands the community’s needs and is ever-ready to help.
While the more affluent residents in upscale Bangsar are resilient to this obvious reinvention, the working class among the seat’s 72,450 voters have been more receptive.
Across the Federal Highway where “Bangsar South” still remains Pantai Dalam and Kerinchi to the wage earners who call this their home, Nong Chik’s tireless pursuit has won him a growing following especially among the Malays and Indians.
Nong Chik appears to have almost transcended his own party and coalition, as locals view him as his own brand and a leader who has catered to them for the last five years, rather than a BN or Umno candidate.
From attending local social events, repainting buildings, giving donations and attending congregational prayers, Nong Chik has been a ubiquitous presence since 2013, residents attested.
“When my husband got into an accident a few years back, he was there to give us money. His people would always check up on our family.
“Nong Chik is like an angel sent by God to look after us, the forgotten ones,” said a resident of PPR Anggerik who only wishes to be known as Kalairani.
In a way, Nong Chik snuck in while nobody was home. While he toiled away silently, Nurul Izzah was away championing national issues in Parliament.
Although hers may be the work of a federal lawmaker, the situation is different in Federal Territories such as Kuala Lumpur that is home to Lembah Pantai. Here, there is no state government or assemblyman, and the MP is expected to play both roles.
While Nurul Izzah was being an MP, Nong Chik all but became the unofficial state representative, aided in no small measure by his access to his old Federal Territories Ministry run now by party colleague, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor.
Despite his 2013 loss, Nong Chik vowed to never give up on the constituency and has had ample time to convince voters that he means it.
Always ready with a smile, the 65-year-old said he is not one to sulk. He has been trying to highlight the importance of familiarity as a key point in his recent speeches.
“We must not choose an outsider or a ‘parachute’ candidate to represent Lembah Pantai.
“We have suffered for 10 years. Now let us end our sufferings by choosing a local man who is well-versed with the local issues,” he said during a 30-minute ceramah at PPR Kerinchi on Friday.
Strong rapport was palpable during the brief exchanges of handshakes and small talk between Nong Chik and other food hawkers during a recent walkabout near the KL Gateway–Universiti LRT station.
Afrizal Ilyas, 58, a hawker who has been selling murtabak for the past 20 years in Lembah Pantai, said he is envious of the locals because they are well taken care of by not one, but two leaders.
The Wangsa Maju voter said he wished other elected representatives, from both sides of the divide, would make an example out of Nong Chik’s continuous and “non-seasonal” hard work.
“He is a good man. Although he knows my vote will not go to him since I am registered at a different constituency, he does not treat me any lesser. He would still greet and buy food from me,” he told Malay Mail.
Although May 9 is fast approaching, the seasoned politician’s campaign has been more relaxed than that of his PKR rival and first-time candidate, Fahmi Fadzil.
When asked whether his “calm” approach is a sure-fire strategy to unseat PKR after 10 years in Lembah Pantai, Nong Chik said he can only hope the locals would value his commitment enough to lead him to victory.
“I started my campaigning the day after losing to Nurul Izzah. I have shown my undying commitment for the past five years out of love for the area and the people here.
“I am not good at acting busy, campaigning only during election period. I intend to keep up this level of commitment now and also after the elections,” he told reporters at Residensi Kerinchi on Friday.
The BN hopeful is seeking to pry the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat out of PKR’s hand this May 9 and will face a three-cornered fight against Nurul Izzah’s former aide Fahmi and PAS Lembah Pantai treasurer Fauzi Abu Bakar.
