The Star Online: Metro: South & East
The Star Online: Metro: South & East |
- GE13: Keen tussle in Pahang
- GE13: MCA confident of winning due to continuous efforts to serve the community
- GE13: MCA candidates in Bentong are a force to be reckoned with
| Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:46 PM PDT KUANTAN: Pahang will see some excitement in this elections as Barisan Nasional prepare themselves for several serious battles in their quest to win all 14 parliamentary seats and retain its two-thirds majority in the state assembly. In previous elections, there was not much "real action" due to a lacklustre Opposition line-up to challenge the Barisan coalition. However, this elections is a different ballgame with several Opposition bigwigs leading the charge coupled with independent candidates and a dormant political party joining in the fray. The much touted three-cornered fight in Pekan fizzled out as student leader Mohamed Bukhairy Sofian backed out, leaving PKR supreme council member Mohd Fariz Abd Talib @ Musa in a straight fight with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Another battle of the chieftains involved incumbent Bentong MP and Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai against "greenie" Wong Tack. The Himpunan Hijau chairman, who will be contesting under a DAP ticket, is set to mount a strong challenge against Liow, capitalising on the health-related issues in Gebeng and Bukit Koman. Former Teluk Intan MP M. Manogaran of the DAP will lock horns with MIC president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel in Cameron Highlands in a five-cornered fight. Others in the race include Mohd Shokri Mahmood from Berjasa and two independents - T. Alagu and K. Kisho Kumar. The constituency, perceived to be a "safe seat" initially, was no longer a sure win for either Barisan and Pakatan Rakyat. Much is at stake for Palanivel as he must secure a win with a good majority to put to rest criticisms by his detractors that MIC was a "spent force." Sparks are set to fly with PKR vice-president Fuziah Salleh defending her seat against Kuantan Umno Youth chief Datuk Mohamed Suffian Awang in a straight fight for the Kuantan parliament, a seat on loan to Umno by the MCA. Neighbouring Indera Mahkota parliament will see a three-cornered fight involving former Umno deputy minister Datuk Fauzi Abdul Rahman, Kuantan Umno division chief Datuk Wan Adnan Wan Mamat and independent G. Ponusamy @ Ram. Wan Adnan was the incumbent Tanjung Lumpur assemblyman and an executive councillor, prior to the dissolution of the Pahang state assembly, while Ponusamy was a former Pahang PKR vice-chairman. Fauzi, the Pahang PKR chairman, will be under pressure to retain the Indera Mahkota parliamentary seat which was won by Azan Ismail - of whom he was at odds with - causing a split within the state leadership. Azan has since being taken out of the state, appointed the Terengganu PKR chief, and leading the charge there. In Temerloh, outspoken incumbent Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah will face a credible opponent in PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi. At the state level, PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man will be looking forward to avenge his defeat to incumbent Jengka assemblyman Wan Salman Wan Ismail. In 2008, Wan Salman defeated him with a majority of 596 votes. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob will be defending Pelangai, a seat he won in the last five elections, against newcomer Abdul Hamid Bahatim of PAS. Liow's political secretary Leong Kim Soon expressed his intention to continue the legacy of his granduncle - the late Tan Sri Chan Siang Sun - who had contributed much to the development of Bentong. Leong will face Bentong DAP Youth chief Chow Yu Hui in Bilut, a battle between two promising youth leaders. Five-term DAP Triang assemblyman Leong Ngah Ngah will be switching seat to contest in Tanah Rata while the Pakatan expressed its confidence in retaining three other seats it won in 2008 - Tras, Kuala Semantan and Beserah. Sabai will be interesting to see if DAP Kamache Doray Rajoo can repeat her feat in wresting the seat from the MIC, who is fielding its Bera MIC division chief R. Goonasakaren, also Adnan's special officer. In the last elections, Kamache lost by just a whisker - 145 votes - to incumbent Datuk M. Davendran. All in, five parliament seats - Cameron Highlands, Lipis, Indera Mahkota, Paya Besar and Bera - will see independents contesting. These hopefuls are taking advantage of the volatile political scenario to create an upset, similar to Tanah Rata incumbent Datuk Ho Yip Kap, who contested in 2008 as an independent. Ho won in that elections with a 575-vote majority before applying to join Gerakan in 2010. He would be seeking a second term in office under Barisan after exchanging the Ketari with the MCA. Damak will see a four-cornered fight with two independents while three-cornered fights will take place in Tanah Rata, Jelai, Semambu, Lepar, Peramu Jaya, Luit, Jenderak, Bukit Ibam and Tioman. Among the independents include a woman doctor Dr Cheam May Choo in Tanah Rata, businessman T. Alagu in Jelai, an ex-imam Mohd Zolfakar Taib in Tioman, blogger Mohd Shukri Mohd Ramli @ Cucumatkilau in Semambu and several disgruntled Opposition leaders. For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site |
| GE13: MCA confident of winning due to continuous efforts to serve the community Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:47 PM PDT JOHOR BARU: MCA is banking on its continuous services to the people to win in all the 23 seats that it is contesting in the state. MCA national organising secretary Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said unlike the opposition, which parachutes candidates into the state and leave for Kuala Lumpur after they win, Barisan Nasional has always been around to serve the people. "In fact MCA has been working the ground in all the four seats we lost in the last election. I am confident that we will be able to recapture these seats in GE13," he said, referring to Bakri parliamentary and the state seats of Mengkibol, Senai and Bentayan. Tee, who will be defending his Pulai Sebatang state seat, added that all party members have been told to reach out to voters as every vote counts in this election. "Barisan has a clear plan to develop the country and I hope that the voters will not just help Barisan but also MCA to win big in GE13," he added. Meanwhile, Bakri MCA chief, Sia Ka Tuan was confident that fielding local candidates in Bakri and Bentayan would enable Barisan Nasional to win back the seat from the opposition. He said that in the 2008 general election, they lost the Bakri seats not only due to the political tsunami but also due to an outside candidate. Lawyers Chris Lee and Helen Fong have been announced as the Barisan candidates to contest in Bakri and Bentayan respectively. Sia, who said that Bakri and Bentayan would be hot seats this election, was unperturbed with the large turnout of people at opposition rallies in Bakri as many of them were outsiders. He said MCA had been working the ground for some time and have been settling all the issues affecting the people in the area. "I hope that this time because of the Prime Minister's good policies and local candidates, we will be able to get at least 40% of the Chinese voters and 70% of the Malay and Indian votes," he said when contacted. DAP is fielding incumbent Er Teck Hwa for Bakri and new candidate Chua Wee Beng. Bakri Parliamentary is carved out of the state seats of Bentayan, Sg Abong and Bukit Naning with a total of 67,329 voters. Bakri and Bentayan were won by DAP while Sg Abong by PAS in 2008. Meanwhile, Kulai MCA youth chief Tang Nai Soon when contacted said that MCA had put in a lot of effort to retain Kulai and also win back the state seat of Senai from DAP. "Our people have been working the ground and solving all the issues including the issue of land titles. "We are also getting positive feedback from the voters in the area," he said. Kulai is expected to be another hot seat as DAP is fielding Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching for the seat. The Senai state seat will be contested by new comer Wong Shu Qi. Kulai is carved out from the state seats of Senai, Bukit Batu, Bukit Permas with a total of 84,149 voters. For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site |
| GE13: MCA candidates in Bentong are a force to be reckoned with Posted: 22 Apr 2013 07:47 PM PDT BENTONG: MCA candidates in Bentong will be known as the Maju Bentong Transformation team. MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the team comprised of Bilut candidate Leong Kim Soon, Ketari candidate Woong Choo Yak and himself as the candidate for the Bentong parlimentary seat. "We will be a constructive force who will be focusing on ways to develop Bentong for a better future for its people," he said during a press conference at MCA Bentong office. Liow said in the past, he has initiated a comprehensive plan to develop Bentong including developing it into a tourism destination. He said the team will ensure that the planned projects by state and federal government will be implemented to benefit the rakyat. Liow also took the opportunity to introduce the two newcomers Leong and Woong. For more election stories, please visit The Star's GE13 site |
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