SUBANG JAYA, May 8 — Almost every night since April 28 — Nomination Day — Pakatan Harapan’s Michelle Ng Mei Sze and Wong Chen have held meet and greet sessions with residents here.
Wong, the incumbent parliamentary candidate for the Subang constituency (formerly known as Kelana Jaya), is a familiar name but Ng has big shoes to fill as she is running for the seat held previously by Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh.
After each session, Ng and Wong would take a photograph with the crowd who would turn on the light torches on their phones, referred to as the “light of hope.”
These informal public meetings are organised by a group of volunteers, some of whom were behind Yeoh's campaigns in the previous elections.
Ng's election agent Sara Lau, 29, said the team works very well together. “When Michelle was announced for Subang Jaya, Hannah, who was the incumbent, had volunteered two of her best staff, Ken Chia, who co-ordinates the team that puts up the campaign materials, and Jen Lee, who manages the volunteers in the walkabouts and ceramahs.
“Most of the volunteers have been working in Subang for the past 10 years, and they are very familiar with the residents, resident associations, and the local council,” she told Malay Mail.
Lau, who is from Subang Jaya, said she and a group of long-time friends of Ng's had kept in touch over the years and decided to support her in the campaign.
None had asked for any form of remuneration, not even a meal or water, and had come together in a show of genuine support.
“What became so quickly apparent is how the people of Subang Jaya embraced her from the start and immediately off the bat assembled to help with the campaign.
“Hannah had left 10 years of good governance and put Subang Jaya in order, and the people know it and know that the party can deliver, which is why they readily put out their support.
“As for Michelle, she has her own character and her conviction is powerful. She is not in the shadows of Hannah and the people have an idea of what she has to offer and that she is a worthy candidate,” she said.
In each of her meeting sessions with the Subang Jaya residents, Ng would hold a Q&A session as most of the audience would have posted questions on her Facebook page.
In a recent session, the 28-year-old was asked if she was too young to be a politician, to which she answered, “Age is not a factor, conviction is. Knowledge can be learned but not conviction.”
“I am very proud that at least in the Opposition, about 20 to 30 per cent of candidates are women. We are on our way there, leading by example and I would like to see that someday we will have 50 per cent representation of women at all levels,” she told the crowd.
In all of her night ceramahs, the audience — mostly made up of young and old of different races, including primary school children — had been very responsive, cheering and clapping in support of her stance.
Some of the residents would attend the ceramahs held at different open field locations in the area every night.
Guest speakers at these ceramahs included activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, the chief executive officer of Selangor Economic Advisor's Office Dr Fahmi Ngah, and Universiti Malaya law lecturer Azmi Sharom.
In addressing the recent vandalism of PH billboards, Ng brushed off the incidents.
“We have spoken to our MCA counterpart, and I would like to inform the people that their leadership did not instruct them to do so.
“I understand that this had angered some people but it’s just a symbol. We want to win hearts and we have to be fair. Let us have politics based on respect,” she said.
Ng is in a three-cornered fight against Barisan Nasional’s Chong Ah Watt, and independent candidate Toh Sin Wah.
Former Selangor State Legislative Assembly Speaker, Yeoh, won the seat with a 28,069 majority in GE13.
