DAP must retain the Ayer Keroh state seat in the upcoming Melaka election to demonstrate that Pakatan Harapan (PH) continues to enjoy support across racial lines, says incumbent assemblyman Kerk Chee Yee.
Kerk, who is seeking a third term, said Ayer Keroh’s mixed voter demographic made it a ‘swing seat’, giving the election outcome particular significance.
‘Given that Ayer Keroh is a mixed constituency, I think the election result will be particularly significant,’ he told FMT.
‘This makes it especially important for DAP to prove, in the current political context, that PH remains a coalition accepted by all races.’
Ayer Keroh a challenging seat for PH
Kerk agreed with political analyst Ong Kian Ming’s assessment that Ayer Keroh was in a ‘very dangerous position’ for PH, saying the constituency had never been a safe seat for the coalition.
He also noted that PAS had identified Ayer Keroh as a potential seat to win, describing it as one of the few constituencies that would demonstrate whether cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) was working.
DAP has held Ayer Keroh since 2008, when Khoo Poay Tiong won the seat. Kerk retained it in the 2018 and 2021 state elections.
Ayer Keroh is the only one of three mixed constituencies previously held by DAP that remains under the party’s control. The other two, Bemban and Duyong, were lost to PN and BN respectively in the 2021 election.
Chinese voters account for 46% of Ayer Keroh’s electorate, followed closely by Malays at 44.1% and Indians at 8.2%.
Residents raise concerns over Kerk’s visibility
Several voters interviewed by FMT said they were unfamiliar with Kerk and questioned his visibility in the constituency.
Mohamad Taib, 63, said he barely knew the incumbent assemblyman apart from the fact that he represented PH.
‘He doesn’t come down to engage with the residents or find out about their problems. There are many elderly people here, and he should pay attention to their needs and the difficulties they face,’ said the hawker stall attendant.
Others complained that Kerk was slow to respond to complaints and address local problems, including clogged drains and fallen trees.
A woman from Bukit Beruang, who declined to be named, said her neighbour had approached Kerk about trees that needed to be cut down but no action had been taken.
However, some residents offered a more positive assessment, saying Kerk had been active in organising community events and addressing local concerns, although his efforts were constrained by limited manpower.
Chan, 59, who runs a vegetarian shop in Bukit Beruang, said Kerk’s staff would sometimes follow up on residents’ concerns when the assemblyman was occupied.
However, he said more manpower was needed because Kerk was responsible for a large area.
Four-cornered contest in Ayer Keroh
In the Nov 14 election, Kerk faces a four-cornered contest against Perikatan Nasional’s Michael Gan, Bersatu’s Hamnaim Mohamad and Bersama’s Muhaimin Lau Abdullah.
On Bersama’s entry into the election, Kerk said he believed the new party, which is targeting young voters, was contesting to split PH’s votes. Bersama has repeatedly denied the allegation.
‘If you look at how the new Bersama was formed, the narrative it is promoting and its voter demographic, we can say with certainty that Bersama is here to split PH’s votes,’ he said.
While acknowledging Bersama’s democratic right to contest, Kerk urged voters to consider the broader implications of their choices, including the possibility of stronger BN-PN cooperation after the election.
