Danial Dzulkifly
HULU SELANGOR, May 4 — The Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election’s Unity coalition candidate Pang Sock Tao is the right choice to help the state realise its mission under the First Selangor Plan (RS-1), said Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said Pang represents the same aspirations as the state administration to drive sustainable development in the state constituency while providing a concrete action plan rather than the rhetoric frequently spouted by their political opponents in Perikatan Nasional (PN)
“PN was the government for 33 months and they failed to carry out their duties and after this, I sense that the Opposition will continue to be ineffective.
“Our candidate intends to focus on connectivity and Internet coverage in the state seat, for example. She can leverage her relationship with Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Transport Minister Anthony Loke to ensure her plans become a reality.
“We came here with a plan; to ensure sustainable development in Kuala Kubu Baharu. So, to continue this mood of development under RS-1, Pang is the right candidate to convey these efforts to the people,” Amirudin said during a mega ceramah held in Batang Kali yesterday night.
Over 1,000 people attended the ceramah, including senior Unity coalition leaders Loke, Gobind, and Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, among others.
He also cautioned local voters to be wary of a purported increased smear campaign by PN as they failed to “move on” from their mistakes of creating political instability in Malaysia.
“I suspect their misinformation campaign will intensify after this, as they cannot move on from their mistakes of creating a sense of political instability in the country.
“This is even after the country’s economy is slowly recovering with increased investment, albeit the ringgit currently taking a hit, many other indicators are showing positive growth.
“But the Opposition can only talk about toppling the government as they have no other issue to talk about,’’ Amirudin said.
The by-election sees Pang face off against Khairul Azhari Saut (PN), Hafizah Zainuddin (Parti Rakyat Malaysia), and Nyau Ke Xin (Independent).
It was called after the death of its state assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong on March 21, from cancer.
Lee, 58, had represented her constituency since 2013, winning and then defending 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.
The late state assemblyman garnered 14,862 total votes against PN’s Teoh Kien Hong (10,743 votes), Muda’s R. Siva Prakash (1,186 votes), and Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Ch’ng Boon Lai (527 votes).
The state constituency consists of 46.4 per cent Malay voters, 30.7 per cent Chinese voters, 18 per cent Indian, and five per cent of other ethnicities.
On April 4, the Election Commission (EC) announced that the by-election’s polling date will fall on May 11, with early voting on May 7.
