Ayer Keroh a must-win for DAP to show PH still accepted by all, says Kerk

DAP must retain the seat of Ayer Keroh in the upcoming Melaka polls to demonstrate that Pakatan Harapan (PH) still enjoys support across racial lines, says incumbent assemblyman Kerk Chee Yee.

Kerk, who is seeking a third term, said the constituency’s mixed demographic of voters made it a “swing seat”.

“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.”

He agreed with the assessment of political analyst Ong Kian Ming that Ayer Keroh was in a “very dangerous position” for PH, saying it “was never a safe seat to begin with”.

He also noted that PAS had identified Ayer Keroh as a potential seat to win, describing it as “one of the few seats that will prove whether the Barisan Nasional-Perikatan Nasional (BN-PN) collaboration is working or not”.

Ayer Keroh has been held by DAP since 2008, when it was won by Khoo Poay Tiong. Kerk retained it in the 2018 and 2021 state elections.

It is the only one of the three mixed constituencies in Melaka previously held by DAP that remains in the party’s hands. The other two – Bemban and Duyong – were lost to PN and BN in the 2021 election. 

Chinese voters make up 46% of Ayer Keroh’s electorate, followed closely by Malays at 44.1% and Indians at 8.2%.

Many voters interviewed by FMT did not know Kerk’s name and questioned his visibility.

Mohamad Taib, 63, said he barely knew the incumbent assemblyman except for the fact that he was from 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,” the 63-year-old hawker stall attendant said.

Others complained that Kerk was slow to respond to complaints and address local problems such as clogged drains and fallen trees.

“My neighbour asked him to do something about some trees that needed to be cut down. They raised the matter with him, but he did not take any action,” a woman who lives in Bukit Beruang told FMT, declining to be named.

However, others gave Kerk a more positive assessment, saying he had been active in organising community events and addressing residents’ problems but was held back.

Chan, 59, who owns a vegetarian shop in Bukit Beruang, said Kerk’s staff would sometimes follow up on residents’ concerns when the assemblyman was occupied, but more manpower was needed as he covered a large area.

In the Nov 14 polls, Kerk faces a four-cornered contest against PN’s Michael Gan, Bersatu’s Hamnaim Mohamad and Bersama’s Muhaimin Lau Abdullah.

On the entry of Bersama, a new party targeting young voters, Kerk said he believed it was contesting to split PH’s votes – a suggestion that the party has repeatedly denied.

“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.

He acknowledged Bersama’s right to contest from a democratic standpoint, but said voters should consider the broader implications of their choices, including the possibility of stronger BN-PN cooperation after the election.

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