PANDAN, Nov 10 — With the campaign for the 15th general election getting into the swing, the Taman Muda wet market here is again in the spotlight as an inescapable venue where candidates must run the proverbial gauntlet of voters to try and be their elected representative.
With over 40 years of history, the market — strategically situated within the Teratai state constituency inside the Pandan federal seat — has seen its fair share of campaigning from various candidates of different political parties over the decades.
Surrounded on all sides by at least 13 major neighbourhoods, the market where the predominant tongue is Cantonese has in recent years become the go-to destination for residents’ daily essentials and provisions, due to the wide array of reasonably-priced goods available.
Yet, the market also serves as a essential campaign stop for candidates every election cycle for a very specific reason: the canvassing of non-Malay votes, especially the ethnic Chinese
“Whosoever wishes to contest in Pandan, this is the first place they must come to introduce themselves and meet with the vendors.
“Moreover, non-Malay voters usually stay away from political programmes, so, the best way to meet them is here.
“In Pandan where those from the urban working-class face problems, you get the best feedback directly from them. The best place to start is the market,” Pakatan Harapan candidate and PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said during a walkabout on Sunday.
Like Rafizi, Parti Warisan’s Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat also made the market his first official morning walkabout destination on the same day, following nomination on Saturday, to meet some of the ethnic Chinese constituents who made up around 46 per cent of voters in Pandan.
“This market is one of the most crowded and popular makeshift markets in greater Kuala Lumpur comparable to Pudu as our space is rather limited,” he told Malay Mail in an interview.
The former MCA president recounted the market’s history, when a loose group of hawkers (then unlicensed) were locked in a stand-off with local government enforcers in the early 1990s during which several clashes took place between them.
As the Ampang Jaya MP before the constituency was abolished and replaced with Pandan, Ong helped reorganise the peddlers and vendors into an association, and assisted in legitimising the hawkers’ business that eventually led to the market’s existence.
“You feel that kind of strong bond with these individuals (who you have helped in the past). Some of their stalls are now being manned by their children and even grandchildren; it’s not the kind of so-called walkabout where one shows their face but rather a walk down memory lane,” he said.
According to the Election Commission (EC), a total of 148,730 voters are eligible to cast their vote, an increase of 47,411 from the previous general election held in May 2018.
But introducing themselves is no easy feat for any candidate, as they must possess the fortitude to withstand the barrage of criticism from vendors and even patrons alike.
“Surely they must visit! There are a lot of stalls and even young voters as well,” a hawker who wished to be known as Sister Chan quipped when met by Malay Mail.
She then remarked that local vendors here were quite outspoken about their grievances and would not hesitate to voice their concerns.
Following the implementation of the automatic voter registration (AVR) system and Undi18, those aged between 18 and 20 now account for 8,300 voters or 5.58 per cent of overall registered voters in Pandan.
Chan, who has plied her trade since the market’s inception in the 1980s, attested to its charm among ethnic Chinese from neighbouring districts, saying many of her regulars hailed from outside of Pandan.
While it has undergone several changes over the years, Chan said the market’s appeal was stronger than ever, now that the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway has improved accessibility.
Another long-time tenant who runs a butcher stall here, Fire Sim, as she wanted to be called, said candidates who do show up to campaign must know they need to first earn the people’s trust by working hard.
“The news, it travels fast. Whatever you have done before, everybody knows. It’s difficult to hide nowadays. Each candidate should do their work before the election, not during the election,” she said when asked about candidates’ likeability.
Flower garland sellers V. Chandran and his wife, C. Sarah, who have been selling for four decades both, both agreed that candidates would most “definitely” have campaign walkabouts here due to the foot traffic.
“Yes, I have customers from as far as Kajang or Hulu Langat coming here.
“Definitely. They will surely come here because the market is crowded,” Chandran exclaimed.
Aside from Rafizi and Ong, others contesting in Pandan include Gerakan Tanah Air’s Nadia Hanafiah (Parti Pejuang Tanah Air), Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Leong Kok Wee (MCA) and Perikatan Nasional’s Muhammad Rafique Zubir Albakri (PAS).
In 2013, Rafizi won against Gary Lim Chin Yee — the candidate who replaced Ong — in a three-cornered fight with a 26,729-vote majority.
After he was forced to sit out the 2018 general election, PKR sent in Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail who doubled the party’s majority in a five-cornered fight, beating Leong by a 52,543 majority.
