By Danial Dzulkifly
HULU SELANGOR, April 25 — The Unity government is focused on bringing tangible solutions to complex issues rather than politicking, unlike their counterparts in Perikatan Nasional (PN), said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said the coalition is working hard at all levels, which has resulted in numerous positive economic indicators for the country, including increased investor confidence and a higher momentum in Bursa Malaysia over the past few days.
“I was in Germany when I received the good news, announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim himself, that we (Selangor) will be home to the largest IC (integrated circuit) design park not just in Malaysia but in Southeast Asia.
“I have also observed the upbeat momentum of trading on Bursa Malaysia today where they record over RM4 billion in transactions compared to RM3.7 billion yesterday. These are the signs that the country is recovering and we are in the process of prospering the lives of the rakyat.
“That is what the Unity government offered to the people today. But unfortunately in our country there are people who instead should inspire people to work together but every day work towards collapsing this government and ruin the sense of harmony and unity among the people,” he said in his speech prior to the announcement for the Unity Coalition candidate for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election at Taman Gamelan, here last night.
Amirudin was referring to the recent announcement by Anwar regarding the IC Design Park to be located in Puchong.
The establishment of the park will be spearheaded by the Selangor government, through its digital economy arm, the Selangor Information Technology and Digital Economy Corporation (Sidec).
Expected to be the largest in Southeast Asia, it is set to commence operations by July 2024 and has already garnered commitments from four partner companies, including ARM Ltd, Phison Malaysia, SkyeChip Sdn Bhd, and the Shenzhen Semiconductor Industry Association.
Later in his speech, Amirudin also assured that the cooperation between all the parties within the Unity coalition remains solid.
He said former political foes between Pakatan Harapan (Harapan) and Barisan Nasional (BN) have put aside their political differences to work towards a common goal.
“We want to move forward, not backwards. We want to consolidate our strength and work together towards healing and progressing this country together,” he said.
Last night, the Unity coalition had named 31-year-old Pang Sock Tao as the candidate in the upcoming Kuala Kubu Baharu state by-election.
Pang, from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), had served as press secretary for Housing and Local Government Minister Ng Kor Ming prior to her candidacy.
The by-election was called following the death of the constituency’s state assemblyman, Lee Kee Hiong, on March 21 after a long battle with cancer.
Lee, 58, had represented the constituency since 2013, winning the seat in three consecutive state elections.
Kuala Kubu Baharu is a traditional DAP seat. In the 15th general election (GE15), the party retained its seat with a 4,119 majority.
Lee garnered 14,862 total votes against Teoh Kien Hong from Perikatan Nasional (PN) (10,743 votes), R. Siva Prakash from Muda (1,186 votes), and Chng Boon Lai from Parti Rakyat Malaysia (527 votes).
The state seat consists of 46.4 per cent Malay voters, 30.7 per cent Chinese voters, 18 per cent Indian, and 5 per cent of other ethnicities.
The Election Commission (EC) announced that the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election will be held on May 11, with nomination day on April 27. Early voting is on May 7.
