Parachuting your way to victory?

“I’m a parachute journalist too!” I joked with an old friend this morning while covering the GE 13 Nomination Day for Pandan.

My friend, a journalist, laughed as we both agreed that there was only so much we could prepare for when certain things are only known at the very last minute.

That was early in the morning, about 8am, when the Ampang Jaya policemen and municipal council workers still busying themselves putting up a box-like ring around the nomination centre at the MPAJ community hall.

This was the cordon where supporters from Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Rakyat and the independents were to stay at least 50-metre from where candidates-to-be would submit their papers to be officially announced as GE13 candidates.

Before that, I had entered the area through an entrance of flags. It was like a fun fair, but one that was very political. A political funfair.

Police cordons off nomination area

An angry-looking policeman didn’t respond when I said good morning; but a couple in their 50s seemed friendly when I asked if they were going for the nomination.

But before that, the standard ice-breaker: “You BN ke Pakatan? Ohhh... Media!”

So this man says that he was an ex-Umno man, 25 years with the party, but grew fed up with the “sandiwara, the corruption... the projects given.” He said that while Pakatan might be involved in hanky panky, he was more taken up with their efforts to “reform”.

Walking around the area near the centre, I said my hellos to fellow newsmen and policemen, including a few familiar faces from my crime reporting days.

And with all that police cordon and a few cars being towed away by MPAJ, the stage was set. Let the nominations begin, and GE13 officially kick-off!

It was a couple of hours before that happened. But soon enough, the army-like march of the wave of blue BN supporters came from the distance. A rousing rendition of “Inilah Barisan Kita” wafted through the air even as the BN flags, dotted with one MCA and one Gerakan flag bopped nearer to us in the centre.

BN candidates flanked by a sea of blue

From the opposing end of the blockade, Pakatan supporters started walking down the slope of the road. Red, light blue... and colourful.

And when both opposing sides stopped, perhaps glaring at each other’s soldiers, another group suddenly popped up behind the BN ranks.

It was a group of orange-clad people with the face of former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on their t-shirts and his surname in mandarin as their flags. They started shouted their support for their candidate Ong Tee... what?

They were chanting the name “Allan” instead? This was the first dramatic twist for the day.

When reporters crowded around the “leader” of the group and asked what happened to the Pandan icon, OTK, one Allan Tan Yew Leng instead told us he quit his position as Ong’s private secretary and decided to contest as the Pandan candidate after finding out that Ong was not contesting.

But why was Ong missing from these crowd, who were clearly his strong supporters?

“I think only he can answer that question. After I discussed with him, this is my own decision. This is my fight to continue in his spirit, his effort to help the Pandan folk.”

Allan Tan with Ong Tee Keat supporters

Later, looking back at the developments, several experts told me that Ong has indeed made a good, calculated political move by backing away from a fight against MCA’s Gary Lim and PKR’s Rafizi Ramli.

“It’s a good move that he withdrew, so he can still be relevant in the MCA and BNparty. If he contested he would have been sacked,” said a former MCA heaquaters senior staff.

But of the move to field Allan as “proxy”, the ex-MCA man said that it was simply done so that there won’t be a void.

“It’s done so people won’t be angry that they thought he would contest but didn’t. This is just to smoothen the process as this was really last minute.”

Another observer said that this was Ong’s tactic to ensure that he had a chance to hold a government position, or go after the MCA No.1 post again.

“Though Allan may be seen as a vote spoiler. There would be some votes for Allan as he is seen as a extension of Ong. Allan is no alien, he has helped Ong for years.”

Ong himself later said that he chose not to contest as he felt best to step aside as he has deemed “less winnable”, Ong, however, stressed that his loyalty to BN should not be a question to anyone anymore.

Filtering out from the Opposition crowd was PRK’s Rafizi Ramli, arrived to an enthusiastic welcome and cheer as he waved to the addoring crowd with a sheepish smile, saying:"This is worse than my wedding."

Rafizi Ramli speaks to the press

Asked, he mentioned that he was relieved that he does not need to go up against the titan that was Ong. However, he did note that Chinese votes would likely be split with more Chinese candidates in the ring.

“So the deciding factor is the Chinese votes, in particular older women. I think we have to do a lot more groundwork, shake more hands, introduce ourselves more.”

But before introducing himself more this GE, already Rafizi had made his killer move to discredit Gary Lim by exposing documents which allegedly showed that Lim had 'impersonated' a lawyer

With the ‘end’ of the first parliamentary drama, comes another drama in the form of a state seat, particularly in Teratai.

I found out that DAP’s Jenice Lee Ying Ha has decided to run as an independent in the Teratai state seat. Lee was apparently sidelined by her DAP leaders when lawyer Tiew Way Keng was choosen as the final candidate for the seat.

“Ok..ok... YB...YB... sini sini!” cried the cameramen who wanted Lee and Tiew to shake hand as they, fortunately or unfortunately, walked too close to each other.

Naturally they complied. But it didn’t seem natural. Awkward perhaps, as it was obvious both couldn’t see eye to eye, or could look at each other in the eye.

Tiew Way Keng shakes Jenice Lee's hand

DAP had reportedly sacked Lee, but Lee declared that she is an independent who still believes in “Ubah” and wanted to win for Pakatan.

“If they manage to sack me, I will try to re join the party,” said Lee, who said that there has been attempts through the years to sabotage and cook up a political conspiracy to take her down.

"I have chosen the tree symbol because people plant trees and when the durian falls, somebody else picks it up,” referring to her work in the area.

Despite reporters asking, Lee refused to name her alleged political assassins, instead focused on how she was a more recognised face in the area, with support from all the community leaders and DAP branches.

A small team of supporters were even shouting hoarse in support for Lee.

While Pakatan had more than 1,000 supporters BN, on the other side, was equally many in numbers. The supporters for independents were numbered at around 300.

By 9am, candidates had begun to go into the nomination centre, including a few more unexpected faces. The nomination period then closed at 10am.

The returning officer announced the names one by one, and we confirmed for sure that Teratai was becoming a five-way fight.

The BN Gerakan candidate for the seat , Selangor Gerakan Youth chief Ben Liew Pok Boon, was a friendly chap who spoke as if he was camera shy.

BN Gerakan candidate for Teratai Ben Liew

He first said that the reason why Teratai is seeing so many candidates, including Lee, the Pandan Perdana Resident Association chairman Lim Ah Chai and and NGO leader Chin Kok Keong(bebas-bunga), was because DAP has not been working.

“DAP has not been doing satisfactory work that is why there are so many independent candidates who want to try for this seat. I will try my best, I’m well parepared. I think BN will win,” said the 37-year-old businessman first time candidate, who added that he will reveal his manifesto soon.

Aside from Pandan and Teratai state, Chempaka seat will see new comer Muhammad Faizal Sufar (BN) will be pitting himself against incumbent Iskandar Abdul Samad PAS.

Noting all these while constantly needed to tweet live updates back to office, I walked away from the politicians, stopped speaking to the supporters, and said goodbyes to friends.

Cameramen take photos of the Pandan candidates

Today, there were things expected and routine. While there were those candidates who parachuted into the ring as last minutes. Spoilers or not, this would be interesting to observe as play-by-play unfold in Pandan.

As I think back on my joke on being parachuted into Pandan as a ‘political war’ journalist, where I had to think on the foot and work with whatever I have. Perhaps it is even more dramatic when the various independents, last minute decided or not, plan their strategy to kill off their opponents to finally be the winning candidate.