The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- GE13:Fresh candidates all out to do their best
- GE13:Outgoing MB Abdul Ghani recalls rapid transformation in Johor
- GE13: All ready to take on the challenge
| GE13:Fresh candidates all out to do their best Posted: 19 Apr 2013 04:05 PM PDT KUANTAN: The race for parliamentary and states seats in Pahang is on with state Umno fielding some new faces amongst the veterans. Leading the pack is Datuk Mohd Suffian Awang, 42, who will be contesting the Kuantan parliamentary seat in an apparent straight fight with PKR's Fuziah Salleh. Mohd Suffian, a lawyer by training, is Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's political secretary. The Universiti Teknologi Mara law graduate plans to engage the community closely in his bid to fight for development in Kuantan. Meanwhile, Maran Umno Puteri chief will be contesting the Luit state seat. Nurhidayah Mohamad Shahaimi, 30, said she was surprised and did not expect to be in the candidates list. "I am grateful and I will carry this task entrusted to me by the party leadership," said Nurhidayah. Nurhidayah, a syariah graduate from Al-Azhar University in Egypt, became active in politics since 2006. She is now working as a Maran special affairs department officer. Another new face to watch is Tengku Datuk Zulkifly Tengku Ahmad who will be vying for the Tanjung Lumpur state seat. The Pahang Malay Chamber of Commerce president, who holds an STPM certificate, is a self-made entrepeneur. Tengku Zulkifly said, if he wins the seat, he would look into infrastructure problems in Tanjung Lumpur. "We see a lot of irrigation problems that need fixing and upgrading," he said. Other new faces include Wan Kadri Wan Mahusain (Bukit Ibam), Ahmad Nazlan Idris (Jerantut) and Mohamed Arifin Awang Ismail (Chenor). On Tuesday, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob announced the full list of state Barisan Nasional candidates at Yayasan Pahang here. In his opening speech, Adnan reminded the newly-chosen candidates to mount a hard campaign. "If you are chosen today, that does not mean you would win the seat. Do not think of wealth, do not think of comfort. Not all elected representatives will be in the Cabinet. "The rest remain as backbenchers," he said. |
| GE13:Outgoing MB Abdul Ghani recalls rapid transformation in Johor Posted: 19 Apr 2013 04:06 PM PDT JOHOR BARU: After helming the state for 18 years, outgoing Johor mentri besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said he is "frankly glad" that he had passed his final term. In a voice choking with emotion, he added that he would miss the interaction and the relationship he had with the people of Johor. Abdul Ghani, who is moving to the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat, said the state's transformation had been rapid, especially in the past seven years, due to the Iskandar Malaysia development and other projects. "Economically, the state is going strong and I believe the next mentri besar will have the support of everyone, including from me, to not only sustain the development but also grow the state further, " he told reporters after presenting documents of candidacy to three MCA leaders here. Incumbent Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Wee Jeck Seng will defend his Tanjung Piai parliamentary seat, while current Pekan Nenas state assemblyman Tang Nai Soon has been moved to the Senai state seat. Johor Wanita MCA chief Wong You Fong is to stand in the Pekan Nenas state seat. "The people in Johor have seen with their own eyes the rapid changes taking place around them," said Abdul Ghani, satisfied with all he had done for Johor during his four terms as mentri besar. "I have done my best in my duty as Johor mentri besar, " he said, attributing much of the success to the trust given to him by the rakyat. On the candidates the Barisan will be fielding in Johor, he said they were chosen due to the credentials and political experience. Regarding the Senai state seat, now held by the DAP, Abdul Ghani said the Barisan is confident of winning it back with Tang as the candidate. "He (Tang) is local-born and knows the issues and plight of the people, while the DAP assemblyman for Senai (state DAP vice-chairman Ong Kow Meng) had done nothing in the last five years," he said. The DAP has announced that the party's executive secretary for political education Wong Shu Qi would be the new candidate in Senai. |
| GE13: All ready to take on the challenge Posted: 19 Apr 2013 04:06 PM PDT  Pahang MCA candidates: (from left) N10 Damak, Datuk Lau Lee, N04 Ceka, Datuk Fong Koong Fuee, N34 Ketari Woong Choo Yak, N30 Mentakab, Datuk Chuah Boon Seong, N14 Teruntum, Datuk Chang Hong Seong, P80 Bentong, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, P80 Raub, Datuk Hoh Khai Mun, N13 Semambu, Datuk Pang Tsu Ming, N33 Bilut, Leong Kim Soon and N07 Teras, Wing Lay Hiang together at Yayasan Pahang. — Bernamapic KUANTAN: Despite facing an uphill battle, Barisan Nasional new candidate for Tras Wing Lay Hiang is mentally and physically prepared to take up the challenge to wrest back the state seat from the Opposition. Wing, 44, said she had a 50-50 chance and would start working immediately on the ground to get to know the voters. "Although I am not a local, my husband is from Sungai Ruan. We have been staying in Raub since 1996. "As a town councillor, I meet many people daily and knew their problems as well as share their aspirations and concerns," she said in an interview. Wing said she was ready to do battle with the incumbent DAP assemblyman Choong Siew Onn and believed she could dethrone him with the support of the people. She said many bread-and-butter issues were not resolved and there was not much developments since Choong won the seat in 2008. "He is rarely on the ground but just create issues from time to time to gain political mileage. "The voters can see for themselves that nothing has changed since the last elections," she said. Choong won the seat with a majority of 2,451 votes, largely due to the unhappiness of the Bukit Koman residents against the authorities over health concerns. Wing said her 14 years serving as a personal assistant to Raub MP Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen would work to her advantage as she would continue to engage the people, work hard and attend to the people's woes. Barisan's Sabai candidate R. Goonasakaren, 52, said he would continue the good work of his predecessor Datuk M. Davendran who had contributed much for the people in the constituency. Goonasakaren said as a former headmaster, he would give his priority to education matters, as well as people's welfare, basic amenities and enhance development for the people. "As a special officer to the Mentri Besar, I would do my best to get things done if the people support me. "I will leave it to the voters and are prepare to go all out to retain the seat for Barisan and MIC," he said, adding that all component parties shared a good working relationship in the parliamentary constituency. Sabai is one of the four state seats in the Bentong parliament. The others are Pelangai, Ketari and Bilut. The incumbent Bentong MP is Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai while Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob is the Pelangai assemblyman. On his fight with DAP's Kamache Doray Rajoo, Goonasakaren described it as a "friendly battle" as he knew her for many years. "She is a close friend and I have assisted her in getting aid for the people's welfare. "May the better person wins and rest assure there would be no mud-slinging, ill will or hatred," he said, while expressing confidence he could win the seat with a higher majority than Davendran's 145 votes in the last elections. Kuantan parliamentary candidate Datuk Mohamed Suffian Awang, 42, said he would engage all communities to get their feedback and allay their fears on the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant in Gebeng. "Although the plant in not directly under the Kuantan parliamentary jurisdiction, the issue is being hyped up by the Opposition to gain mileage. "It is part of my responsibility to clear the misconception and I would propose to set up an ad-hoc committee to engage the people and the management," he said. Mohamed Suffian, who is also the political secretary to the Prime Minister and Kuantan Umno Youth chief, said his immediate aim was to contribute ideas to enhance tourism and elevate Kuantan town to a city status within the next five years. He said the people could see for themselves the changes implemented by the Government such as the recent opening of the UTC Kuantan where all government agencies shared one roof to facilitate easier transactions and the Rapid Kuantan town bus services. In the last elections, Fuziah Salleh of the PKR won the Kuantan parliamentary seat against Barisan's Datuk Fu Ah Kiow. Umno will be contesting in this elections after MCA agreed to loan them the seat. |
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