KUALA LUMPUR: Several PKR supporters from Sabah are out to convince the Orang Asli in Hulu Selangor to throw their weight behind Pakatan Rakyat candidate Zaid Ibrahim, come election day on April 25.
In what is expected to be a tightly-run race between Zaid and the yet-to-be announced BN candidate, every vote matters and the Orang Asli community with its almost 2,000 votes cannot be ignored.
Led by Sabah and Sarawak PKR chairman Jeffrey Kitingan, a group of Sabahans arrived here yesterday to bolster support for Zaid.
Jeffrey, who has galvanised Sabahans with his call to stand up for their rights, will push his message to the Orang Asli voters.
The Kadazandusun leader had a series of meetings, including one with Orang Asli expert Colin Nicholas who briefed him on the situation of the native community in Hulu Selangor.
Jeffrey will also meet a group of Orang Asli leaders before heading for 17 settlements in Hulu Selangor for “conversations with his native brothers".
"I have a fair understanding of the situation in the Orang Asli community after Colin's briefing," said Jeffrey.
Colins has worked extensively with the Orang Asli community as well as natives in Sabah.
"In my assessment, the Orang Asli community has not been given due recognition. They have been marginalised on many fronts.
“No doubt, some assistance has been given but it has only made them overly dependent on the government, which the ruling elite loves to perpetuate," said Jeffrey.
In the last general election, PKR failed to make inroads into the Orang Asli community who reside in 17 settlements within the Hulu Selangor constituency.
BN to name candidate tomorrow
The March 2008 general election gave PKR a razor-thin victory against BN veteran MP G Palanivel, who had held the seat since 1990.
Palanivel, who is MIC deputy president, lost to PKR’s Zainal Abidin Ahmad by 198 votes.
BN is expected to announce its candidate tomorrow. The Election Commission has set April 17 for nominations of candidates.
Mindful of the 2008 polls scenario in Hulu Selangor, Jeffrey and his group are aiming for a 100 percent support from the Orang Asli community.
It is also learnt that Jeffrey will be meeting Hindraf leaders today to hear out the Indian community's problems. They make up about 19 percent of electorate in Hulu Selangor.
"The community's problem in Hulu Selangor is but a reflection of the Indian condition nationwide, as has been highlighted by Hindraf even in London.
"We need to consider long-term solutions for them," he told FMT.
Hindraf has been highly critical of Pakatan and PKR in particular for failing to help the Indian community, which it says had fuelled the coalition’s win in Kedah, Penang and Selangor.
While admitting that he was not here to offer fast solutions, Jeffrey said he was optimistic that with political will, just like the natives in Sabah and Sarawak, problems can be resolved.
"This is about sending messages to policymakers, about electing a caring and action-orientated MP to Parliament," he said.
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