GEORGETOWN: If it weren’t for the fact that he was surrounded by his supporters and dressed in Pakatan Rakyat’s uniform, Zairil Khir Johari, looked like any other average man eating breakfast with his family at a stall near the Pulau Tikus wet market yesterday morning.

Zairil, the DAP candidate for the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat, had his seven-month old boy Riahn on his lap, while eating a plate of chee cheong fun next to his wife, Dahlia Hamzah.

Warmly greeting the fz.com team, the first words out of his mouth were: “Have you had breakfast? Would you like to join us?”

This bespeaks his people-centric nature, and the 30-year old self-admitted leftist talked about his dreams and ideals to eradicate racial barriers prior to his first walkabout in what could be his future constituency.

“I believe my generation no longer believes in racial politics and race-based parties. When I was younger I thought that politics was something that I would get into when I’m older but 2008 made me realise that there are so many youths who are into politics and can make a difference.

“I grew up listening to my father speak of the old Umno and how he was disappointed with the current leadership. My late father had already retired by then and was a corporate man but when his friends came over, they always talked about politics.

“It always captured my interest and it’s in my blood,” said the son of Malaysia’s first education minister Tan Sri Khir Johari.

Zairil then waited for his colleague, DAP Pulau Tikus candidate Yap Soo Huey, to finish her breakfast before the two newcomers to the political arena got up and began their very first walkabout in the surrounding areas of the market.
And the public loved them both.

It was all warm smiles as they met and greeted folks having breakfast, with many people actually standing up and shaking Zairil’s hand warmly when he was introduced to them. Zairil bantered with a trader in Mandarin, much to the trader’s surprise.

“I know enough to get by,” explained Zairil.

An elderly Chinese lady who was enjoying a plate of char kuey teow for breakfast also reminded the two young aspiring politicians to always visit their constituencies and not to “visit only every five years”.

It took the senior citizen a while to recognise Yap who was not in her usual attire but in her DAP party uniform.

Speaking to fz.com, the elderly Chinese lady who requested anonymity said: “She’s a candidate ah? Wah … grow up so fast! Sure vote for her lah.”

Folks doing their weekly marketing in Pulau Tikus seemed to recognise Yap far more than Zairil, as he only moved there in 2011, after selling his chocolate business in Subang.

“My wife does her marketing here. We live near here too,” said Zairil.

Little Riahn and Zairil’s wife Dahlia also seemed to be getting their fair share of the attention.

When asked what he believes is his greatest challenge in retaining the seat for DAP, Zairil said BN’s campaign of allegedly buying everyone free dinners and concerts could be a damper, as his ceramah yesterday was outshone by the Ludacris and Busta Rhymes concert nearby.

“It’s a free concert. I would go there too if I’m not campaigning. But I believe the people of Penang are mature and wise enough to vote for Pakatan but will take whatever freebies that BN is giving. I hope the spirit of the Psy concert is still there,” said Zairil.

Yap, on the other hand, thinks recognition is her greatest challenge because everyone remembers her as either a little girl growing up or a normal person on the street.

“I need to make sure they remember me. I need to really introduce myself here. But I believe I can help the people as DAP is already a state government,” said Yap who was the science, technological and innovation officer for caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng’s office.

This is something that Zairil does not need to worry about as retiree Tony Teh, 65, told Zairil: “I remember your father! You are contesting too now! You have my vote!”

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on April 22, 2013.