Section 28: DAP Bahau
Those who are concerned about the politics in Bahau know about the political rivalry between MCA and DAP over the past decades. These two parties have been in conflict since the 1950s, and even though they had to share the same roof last year due to the prevailing circumstances, the historical wounds continue to bleed.
Time brings significant changes, and DAP, once without much influence, has become dominant in the political landscape. Their red rocket party flags are visible in every corner. In contrast, MCA has become a shadow of its former self, and the stark contrast between its current state and its past prominence.
From 1959 to the present, spanning 64 years, Bahau has experienced 14 general elections. In the first six elections, MCA dominated the political landscape. Even during the 1969 3rd general election, due to the Merdeka University (獨大) incident, the slogan "If the Alliance (MCA, UMNO, and MIC) rules, even the iron tree will bloom" stirred up a huge controversy, and the anti-MCA sentiments echoed throughout the land. However, Bahau remained stable as ever, and the opposition's attempts to confront MCA were as futile as eggs hitting a rock.
MCA was established on February 27, 1949. In the 1950s, the name "MCA" began to be widely known among the residents of Bahau. In the 1959 first general election, people saw the "sailing ship" symbol of the Alliance, which consisted of MCA, UMNO, and the Indian National Congress. At that time, DAP had not yet been formed, so there was no sight of the "rocket" symbol; instead, they saw the "bull" symbol of the Socialist Front Labour Party.
Datuk Tong Hean Kim, the representative figure of MCA in Bahau during that time, competed in the first five general elections and remained undefeated. In 1959, he faced off against Chai Yo Ho from the Labour Party. In the 1964 three-cornered fight, he contended with Chan Meng Sze from the Socialist Front and Nordin from PAS. In 1969, he ran uncontested and emerged victorious. In the 1974 three-cornered fight, his opponents were Mohamed Noor from DAP and independent candidate Abdul Rahman. In the 5th general election, he competed against Loh Ming Chai from DAP and won decisively in every contest.
Remarkably, even during the tumultuous times of the Chinese community in 1969, he had no opponent daring to challenge him. This showcased the formidable influence and dominance of MCA in Bahau.
After the formation of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in 1965, their first representative, Mohamad Noor, contested in Bahau in 1974, going up against Datuk Tong Hean Kim. In that year, Bahau had 6,791 registered voters, and DAP received 706 votes, while independent candidate Abdullah Rahman secured 306 votes. However, Datuk Tong Hean Kim won effortlessly with 4,540 votes.
Loh Ming Chai was the first Chinese party member to contest in Bahau. He challenged Datuk Tong Hean Kim in 1978 and Chew Hock Thai in 1982 but suffered significant defeats. However, in the 1986 general election, an unprecedented turnaround occurred as he represented DAP and won Bahau seat, creating history.
This election marked the beginning of DAP's influence in Bahau. In that year, representing MCA, Chong Chi Shiang received 2,522 votes, independent candidate Yew Jin Jian secured 1,165 votes, while Loh Ming Chai obtained 3,821 votes, leading to a political shift in Bahau.
In fact, in the first six general elections, MCA held a firm position in Bahau, but it was uprooted overnight by the Democratic Action Party (DAP). This is largely related to the redrawing of electoral boundaries in the Rompin constituency. Areas that originally belonged to the Rompin constituency, including Batu Bakar, Chu Wad, and Kampung Indah, were reassigned to Bahau after the electoral boundary realignment. This change altered the structure of the constituency and the distribution of racial votes, thus impacting the political destiny of both DAP and MCA. This adjustment played a decisive role in DAP's breakthrough in Bahau.
When it comes to DAP in Bahau, we must discuss the Rompin constituency as it is the birthplace of DAP, and in the first general election, Rompin was one of the few constituencies won by the Labour Party. At that time, 28-year-old DAP member Lin Ji Sai faced a challenge from MCA's Ho Hong Yeow and independent candidate Lee Khin Heng, but he managed to emerge victorious. The key to his success was that Batu Bakar, Chu Wad, and Kampung Indah were strongholds for the Labour Party.
Batu Bakar village was famously known as the "Cow Head Village," and during the local council elections in the 1950s and 1960s, several Socialist Front (now known as DAP) councillors were elected. This shows that these three areas underwent significant changes in Bahau's political landscape after returning from Rompin in 1968, which is not surprising.
Hu Tang was the founder of DAP in Rompin, and he contested in the Rompin election in 1978, engaging in a three-cornered fight with MCA's Yu Kok Chun and PAS's Nafi. Hu Tang received 2,644 votes but was defeated by Yu Kok Chun, who garnered 4,377 votes. Nafi received 495 votes and became the runner-up.
source by: Lam Sheng Chong
When writing about DAP in Bahau, one must also write about DAP in Rompin because the two are closely connected as siblings in their political endeavors.
During their time in opposition, DAP exerted tremendous efforts to seek a breakthrough. Although Chin Min Sin ignited the spark in Seremban, it failed to illuminate other constituencies. In the sea of blue in Negeri Sembilan, there was only a faint glimmer of red.
Back then, DAP strongman Ho Sek Beng ventured out of Seremban to Rompin, challenging MCA's Yu Kok Chun in 1974. Yu Kok Chun had already won the Rompin state seat in 1969 and sought re-election. He faced off against Ho Sek Beng, a newcomer to DAP, and had a considerable advantage in strength. When the results were announced, Yu Kok Chun narrowly won by only 119 votes, and Ho Sek Beng gained fame from that moment on."
Yu Kok Chun successfully defended his seat in Rompin in the 1969, 1974, 1978, and 1982 general elections. In 1978, he was appointed as an executive council member in the Negeri Sembilan state government, reaching the peak of his political career. After Rompin was renamed as Palong due to constituency redrawing in 1986, and it became a UMNO seat instead of MCA, Yu Kok Chun stepped back from politics. He passed away on June 23, 2016, at the age of 77.
On the other hand, Ho Sek Beng gained significant fame after the Rompin election. He won the Sg. Ujong state seat for the first time in the 1978 general election, followed by consecutive victories in the elections for the Labu, Rembau, and Yasa state seats. In 1987, during the Operation Lalang, he was arrested and detained for 47 days before being released. In the 1990 election, he contested again in Yasa and also in Jeram, but unfortunately, he lost both battles. He left the party the following year and subsequently retired from politics. He passed away on July 3, 2020, at the age of 73.
Both Hu Xuebang and Lee Yin Fong had their connections with the Rompin constituency. Although this constituency no longer exists today, from 1959 to 1986, it was instrumental in producing several prominent political figures.
Returning to the Bahau state constituency in Negeri Sembilan, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) has produced a sequence of representatives: Law Ming Chong (罗明仔) in 1986, Wong Tack (黃子育) in 1990, Lim Hui Ming (林輝明) in 2004 (who later joined the Malaysian Chinese Association), Teo Kok Seong (张聒翔) in 2008, Chew Siu Shean (周世扬) in 2013, and Teo Kok Seong (张聒翔) again in 2018.
From 1986 to 2018, except for Chew Ah Kaw(徐亚苟), who was consecutively elected as a Bahau state assemblyman representing the Malaysian Chinese Association in 1995 and 1999, DAP has dominated in every general election. Especially after DAP's victory in Bahau in 2008, they maintained their dominance for three consecutive terms. The 2018 election was particularly significant as Teo Kok Seong was appointed as an executive councillor, further solidifying DAP's influence.
The media has pointed out that in the 1980s when Law Ming Chong (罗明仔) first started his career in Bahau, he often issued press statements to advocate for the people, but few noticed his efforts. This stands in stark contrast to the current situation, where DAP members from Bahau serve as executive councillors in the ruling state government. Truly, as they say, fortunes change, with ten years in the East and ten years in the West.