JOHOR BARU – State DAP chief Liew Chin Tong can expect an uphill battle to win hearts and minds in the Perling state constituency in two weeks.
Perling residents are in disbelief after finding out that DAP dropped two-term incumbent Cheo Yee How in favour of Liew.
Perling Residents Committee deputy chairman Mustaffa Abdullah expressed disappointment when he found out that Cheo will not be defending his seat or even being considered for another constituency in the state.
Mustaffa, who is aligned with Perikatan Nasional (PN), told The Vibes that he supports Cheo due to the work he has done with the B40 community in Perling.
“We are not concerned with political parties because the candidate matters more. When there’s a problem, Cheo is always quick to react and is competent in his work.”
He said Perling residents, whether affected by floods or the pandemic, can depend on the former assemblyman.
For example, he said, he requested more than 100 food baskets for his community during the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Cheo, although had yet to receive the allocation from the state government, went all out to approach NGOs to help get what we want.”
Mustaffa said the Malay community may not vote for another DAP candidate given they are more familiar with Cheo and his work.
He added that some residents had suggested that Cheo run for Perling as an independent but apparently the DAP man declined, citing loyalty to his party.
“I have contacted Lim Kit Siang’s officers to reconsider (the candidacy), but I did not receive any replies.
“I believe that the party may not be happy because Cheo’s work is more focused on helping the B40 community. Everyone knows if you don’t have the (support of) businessmen, you cannot bring in funds for the party.”
Meanwhile, community representative for Jalan Camar 13, Azura Zainal, described Cheo as a “cooperative and efficient” assemblyman.
She said the incumbent not only serves her community when they need help but pays the residents visits to find out how they are doing.
“I don’t even need to call him; I just need to send him a WhatsApp (message).
“Recently, we had a problem with the waste disposal here and despite contacting the local council, nothing happened.
“But when we informed Cheo, the problem was resolved within a few days,” Azura told The Vibes.
She said she is both unsatisfied and sad over DAP’s decision to drop Cheo and field Liew instead.
Just like Mustaffa, Azura said party lines have no bearing on her community, but the work a representative does.
As for Pakatan Harapan’s chances in Perling now, Azura contends the coalition will face obstacles trying to secure a win.
“We don’t know his (Liew’s) performance. Why put someone who we aren’t familiar with?
“I have been in Perling since 1995 and I can say that Cheo is the first assemblyman that I have seen who is always on the ground.”
Similarly, Jian Ming from the Ang Kiang Seng religious society here gave Cheo the thumbs up for his performance in Perling since 2013.
He said the Ang Kiang Seng society has received assistance from the former assemblyman in terms of computers and office equipment.
However, he hoped DAP’s decision to drop Cheo would at least see a candidate with similar or at least better performance.
“I cannot say if DAP’s decision is good or bad. This is a party decision.”
Yesterday, DAP announced its final batch of candidates for the Johor polls scheduled for March 12.
Among them included Liew for the Perling seat, confirming DAP’s decision to drop Cheo from the state line-up. – The Vibes, February 25, 2022
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