By Sherilyn Pang
MORIB, located at the southern part of Selangor, is famously known for its beaches and natural beauty.
The constituency (N53) is helmed by Hasnol Baharuddin, who oversees the welfare of over 90,000 people and the 35,000 registered voters there.
A pharmaceutical graduate from Universiti Sains Malaysia, Hasnol, who was recently elected as the Deputy Speaker of Selangor’s State Legislative Assembly, speaks to Selangor Journal on his hopes to see the tourism sector in his constituency improve further and to upgrade Morib’s infrastructure to keep it viable and attractive for visitors.
SJ: What is the main industry in your constituency?
Hasnol Baharuddin (HB): Agriculture is Morib’s main economy. We have oil palm plantations and fertigation and vegetable farming, among others. Our economic activities revolve around tourism, giving our local entrepreneurs a great opportunity to do business. There are many small and medium-sized enterprises in the food-processing line, with some owning homestays and running food-stall businesses to take advantage of our tourist spot status.
SJ: What are some of the main attractions in Morib?
HB: Morib has a decent spread of areas for tourism activities. Aside from Pantai Morib, there are Jugra, Carey Island and Pantai Kelanang, just to name a few. So even though we may not be as popular as Port Dickson or Melaka, the potential for our tourism activity to grow is immense. That’s why I would like to suggest to the state government to develop Morib further. For example, we can reclaim land to facilitate the growth of our tourism sector. We currently depend on the support of the private sector, but if we can initiate some public-private partnerships to further develop Morib’s tourism, that would be good.
SJ: What are some of the concerns that are raised by your constituents and how do you plan to address them?
HB: At present, the concern lies with Selangor’s water issue. Previously our state Budget allocated RM2.333 billion but for 2021, I hope there can be more to ensure the wellbeing of the people and to guarantee that they remain happy with our services. I would also like to reiterate my hopes for the tourism sector in Morib, to see more aggressive infrastructure development. This is so that we can attract more investors. Not to forget, we have many fishermen here and if the state government can assist in building an aquaculture research and fish-farming centre here, it would benefit them greatly.
SJ: What are some of your achievements so far in your constituency?
HB: I have managed to improve the basic amenities for the residents here, such as mending the roads in their housing areas and also the interstate linked roads. The fact that the local authorities have annual allocations dedicated to road and drainage system maintenance ensures that they will always be in good condition. And in April and May during the movement control order at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, I helped to distribute aid to more than 2,000 families in my area using funds provided by the state government.
SJ: What are some of your problem-solving methods?
HB: My problem-solving methods include close engagement with all kinds of non-government organisations at the grassroots level. My target is to reach out to the people in the villages and pay close attention to their problems. I make it a point to strengthen my ties with the local authorities and state bodies at the mid-tier and district levels so that solving grassroots problems becomes easier. I keep myself in a good position where I am able to make recommendations and obtain approvals for the people.
This article first appeared in the Selangor Journal monthly September edition, published on September 14, 2020.
