Letter from Larut: the ground that holds Hamzah’s political strength

2026-03-23 - 23:50

On my way to Padang Besar, Perlis, last week, I made a detour into Larut. What began as a brief stop soon turned into a slow drive through parts of the constituency — first Batu Kurau, then Kubu Gajah, before ending the day breaking fast in Selama. Larut (P56), a parliamentary constituency in Perak, is represented by Hamzah Zainudin, formerly the deputy president of Bersatu and currently the opposition leader in the Dewan Rakyat. His name has been circulating widely in national politics of late, but here in Larut the conversation about him feels less like news and more like familiarity — the kind usually reserved for a local political strongman. To understand Hamzah’s political standing, one has to spend time in places like these —- small rural towns, village markets, roadside cafes and surau compounds. Political strength Larut is where the foundations of his political strength were built, patiently and over many years. Then with Umno, Hamzah first won the seat in the 2008 general election under the Barisan Nasional coalition banner. He retained the seat again in 2013 and 2018, both times comfortably. He left Umno for Bersatu after the 2018 general election, and four years later, contested under the Perikatan Nasional banner at the 15th general election. Despite the shift in political platforms, something that might have unsettled many constituencies, Hamzah held on to Larut convincingly. Within its parliamentary constituency, Larut has three state seats — Selama and Kubu Gajah (both won by PN-PAS), and Batu Kurau (under PN-Bersatu). In the 2022 general election, Hamzah secured 28,350 votes, defeating the BN candidate Shafiq Fhadly Mahmud, who received 16,752 votes. As for the remaining candidates, Zolkharnain Abidin of PH obtained only 6,207 votes while Auzaie Fadzlan Shahidi of Pejuang lost his deposit with only 566 votes. Larut’s political behaviour is also shaped by its demographics. The constituency is majority Malay, with sizeable Chinese communities in towns such as Selama and Rantau Panjang, and smaller Indian and Orang Asli populations scattered across plantations and rural areas. In many ways, Larut reflects the political character of northern Perak — rural, socially conservative and historically comfortable with strong local personalities. Electoral outcomes here are often less about national swings and more about the credibility of the individual candidate on the ground. Tin mining district Historically significant in Perak, Larut has always been associated with tin mining, and, in fact, was considered a hub in 19th-century Malaya. Developed in the 1850s following the discovery by Long Jaafar of rich tin deposits, it was the site of the Larut Wars between two Chinese secret societies — Gee Hin Kongsi and Hai San Society. The conflicts of the 1860s and 1870s eventually drew in British intervention — leading to the appointment of the first British Resident in Perak, marking a turning point in the colonial administration of the Malay states. Larut is not a small constituency. It stretches across roughly 1,129 square km — about the size of Hong Kong (1,106 square km) and significantly larger than Singapore (728 square km). The terrain runs from plantations and villages to small towns and hill settlements. Representing such a constituency requires more than political branding; it demands presence, patience and years of personal engagement. The issues that dominate conversations here are often practical rather than ideological. Roads linking villages to the main towns, agricultural support for smallholders, youth employment and flood mitigation during the monsoon months come up more frequently than national political debates. In places like Batu Kurau and Selama, many residents still depend on rubber smallholdings, oil palm plots or small-scale trading. Federal access and government assistance therefore carry significant weight, and having a representative perceived as well connected in Putrajaya matters. Yet, despite its size, Hamzah is widely recognised here. In roadside coffee shops, village markets and town centres, his name surfaces easily in conversation. National leader Many people remember meeting him, attended events he officiated, or saw him on the ground during local programmes. For a constituency of this scale, that familiarity is not accidental. Neither is it the work of party politics; it is the product of years of personal groundwork — caring, friendly and approachable. Long before becoming Larut MP, Hamzah had already established himself in federal politics, serving as a senator in the Dewan Negara from 2000 to 2006. After winning Larut as an Umno candidate in 2008, his national career steadily progressed. He became a deputy minister, later a full cabinet minister, and eventually served as home minister when Muhyiddin Yassin led the PN government in 2020. For many in Larut, his rise in national politics was seen, not as distant power, but as a reflection of their own representative’s growing influence. So, how do the local voters in Larut currently perceive their leader, Hamzah Zainudin? There is a widespread perception that their constituency had produced a leader capable of operating at the highest levels of government. There was, until recently, a widely shared expectation that Hamzah would one day take over the leadership of Bersatu from Muhyiddin and lead PN into the next general election. In Larut, some even spoke of him as a potential candidate for