MCA candidate Siow Kong Choon is hoping to regain Chinese voter support for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Negeri Sembilan state election as he challenges DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook for the Chennah seat.
Siow said Chinese voters should no longer be regarded as a “fixed deposit” for any political party, claiming that the community has become more cautious and evaluates candidates based on their ability to serve rather than following political or racial sentiments.
“I do not believe any community’s votes belong permanently to any party. It depends on our efforts and the policies we present to voters.
“Voters are capable of judging which candidates can serve them and focus on the needs of their constituency,” he told FMT.
However, Siow acknowledged that he enters the contest as the underdog due to Loke’s position as a federal minister, Seremban MP and his long-standing representation of Chennah since 2013.
He said his advantage was being able to dedicate his full attention to the constituency without other administrative commitments, allowing him to be more accessible to residents.
“The people of Chennah deserve an assemblyman who can be easily reached and who is ready to be on the ground whenever they face issues,” he said.
Chennah, located under the Jelebu parliamentary constituency, will see a straight fight between Siow and Loke. The mixed seat consists of 46 per cent Malay voters, 44 per cent Chinese voters, 5.9 per cent Orang Asli voters and 2.1 per cent Indian voters.
Loke has held the seat since 2013 after previously serving as the Lobak assemblyman for two terms.
Siow also dismissed claims that BN was only targeting Malay voters to challenge DAP, stressing that his campaign approach would involve engaging all communities in Chennah regardless of race.
He said BN’s focus would be on addressing the concerns of every voter and offering solutions that benefit the entire constituency.
