NAI KHAN, FIRST SIAMESE TO CONTEST IN ELECTION

By Alan Ting

PENANG (Malaysia), May 25 (Bernama) -- If not for the Penanti by-election,
not many people would know about Nai Khan Ari, a factory manager who became the
first ever Malaysian Siamese to contest in an election.

For the 80,000 members of the Siamese community, seeing Nai's picture in
newspapers -- in his red long-sleeved shirt, smiling with other Penanti
by-election candidates -- is nothing short of a proud moment.

Finally, here is a man from their community who rises to the occasion and
takes the challenge to be a candidate in the by-election.

"This is the first time, as far we know (that a Siamese is contesting in an
election). All the while we have been supporting candidates from other
communities. This time around, a candidate has risen from among our own," said
Malaysian Siamese Association Penang branch chairman Willai Promsu Wan.

She said the Siamese community, which mostly resides in northern states and
Kelantan, previously had a representative, Siw Chun, in the Senate.

Willai said members of the Siamese community, who wanted to participate in
active politics, would join parties such as Umno and Gerakan as they had no
political parties of their own due to the community's position as a minority
group.

"We are too small... it's not easy for people to notice us," she added.

The Malaysian Siamese Association, established in 1970, is taking care of
the interest of the community.

"We have 19 branches and have expanded with Malaysian Siamese Women
Association. Whatever it is, the decision by Nai to contest is a good sign that
the Siamese community is now willing to play a bigger role," she said.

For Nai, his decision to contest was spurred by his humble beginning.

He is educated only up to form five but this did not stop him from pursuing
other skills.

His ability to speak in six languages -- among them Malay, English, Mandarin
and other Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, apart from his own mother tongue --
speaks volume of his determination to acquire knowledge.

Nai is now banking on his language skills as his selling point in the
by-election.

"I am from the grassroots level. I know them well. I therefore feel that by
offering myself, I'm giving the people the option to pick a candidate who can
represent them," he said.

Nai, who admitted that contesting in the by-election was not an easy
decision, thanked his employer, co-workers, family members as well as the
Siamese community for giving him the encouragement.

"I guess the time has come for us to come forward, to play a bigger role in
the society," said Nai, who was born and bred in Kampung Teluk Wang, here.

Married to a Chinese, Nai is the father of two daughters and a son.

The Penanti by-election on March 31 is seeing a four-way fight between Parti
Keadilan Rakyat's Mansor Othman, 59, and three Independents -- Nai, 41, Aminah
Abdullah, 56, and Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42.
-- BERNAMA