VOXPOP | Just hours before PKR announced its Selangor candidates for the 14th general election, Rawang incumbent Gan Pei Nei held an emotionally-charged press conference in which she claimed she could be dropped for the state seat.

This, she said, was due to a poison pen letter accusing her of abusing state allocations for the constituency.

Gan’s fears came to pass as PKR Youth deputy strategy director Chua Wei Kiat was picked to replace her in Rawang.

In a Malaysiakini straw poll conducted among voters in the constituency, the sudden move by PKR appears to have agitated her wide base of supporters, particularly those from the Chinese community.

Steven Chong, who has lived in the old mining town since birth, said that Gan has worked hard in the two terms she served as assemblyperson, and that she was popular among residents – many of whom, he said, were left shocked and disappointed by the decision.

“What is this? She has served the party for the past 10 years and she won the seat. This constituency was a BN fortress before. It was very difficult for her to win it.

“The network she built over the past 10 years was very strong. I’m sure she would have won again if she was chosen to defend her seat,” said the 63-year-old restaurant owner...