Political temperature heating up in Highlands
GEORGE TOWN: The political temperature on cool Cameron Highlands may soar higher over talk of Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P. Ramasamy (pic) being fielded against MIC Youth chief Datuk Sivarraajh Chandran in the 14th General Election.
The political fever there went up a notch recently when myPPP president Tan Sri M. Kayveas said that he would contest the parliamentary seat in GE14 since he had been working on the ground there for the past three years.
His statement incurred the wrath of MIC leaders, who are said to be considering Sivarraajh for the seat.
Kayveas’ claim that he had waited for 17 years to contest the seat was rejected by Pahang MIC chief Datuk R. Goonasakeran, who said that Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob had indicated the seat would remain with MIC.
Kayveas then threatened to contest on his “own ticket” if he is denied the seat.
“The possible entry of Dr Ramasamy into the fray will make Cameron Highlands a hot seat to watch in the coming polls,” said one political observer.
Dr Ramasamy – the former political science lecturer from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia who defeated former Penang chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon in the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat in the 2008 general election – is among the DAP’s most prominent Indian leaders.
A two-term assemblyman for Prai, Dr Ramasamy handles Indian affairs in the state and has been a vocal critic of MIC for decades.
Cameron Highlands has a sizeable Indian population that comprises mainly farmers and tea plantation workers.
In 2013, there were 28,043 voters with Indians making up 12.48%, Chinese 32.29%, Malays 34.15% and others 21.07%.
Former MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel won the seat by a razor-thin 462vote majority against DAP’s M. Manogaran, a former Teluk Intan MP, in GE13.
The result came as a shock since Datuk Seri S.K. Devamany had won the seat by a majority of 3,117 votes against DAP’s J. Apalasamy in the 2008 general election.
Dr Ramasamy, who is chairman of the Penang Hindu Endowment Board, is known for introducing the golden chariot in Penang this year to rival the silver chariot which had been operated by the chettiars for 126 years, on grounds that they were not transparent on their Thaipusam collections.
The move enraged the local chettiar community.
Last week, he triggered outrage when he lashed out at Penang Forum, a coalition of some 20 civil society groups, over their comments on the hillside tragedy in Tanjung Bungah which claimed 11 lives.
He challenged Penang Forum to form a party to contest in GE14 and perhaps form a pact with Barisan Nasional to vote out the Pakatan Harapan state government.
It has been speculated that state exco member Jagdeep Singh Deo may replace Dr Ramasamy as Deputy Chief Minister II.
When contacted, Dr Ramasamy said: “Let the party decide whether I should contest in Prai again or elsewhere.
“If the party wants to drop me, so be it.”