KUANTAN – Lipis MCA chief Ho Fong Mee has been named as the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in the Cheka state seat, thus completing the coalition’s list of 42 candidates contesting for the Pahang assembly in the coming general election.
Ho, 58, said he received his BN credentials from Lipis Umno chief Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Mohamad, who represented Pahang BN chairman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, at the Lipis Umno office yesterday evening.
“This is the first time I have been entrusted to represent BN after several times helping in the campaigns of BN candidates in Lipis elections, which I can use to organise the campaign to approach voters,” he said when contacted here today.
At the announcement of Pahang BN candidates on Wednesday, the candidates for the Cheka and Sabai state seats were not mentioned by Wan Rosdy, saying the status was “KIV” (keep in view). Nonetheless, the Sabai candidate was announced in the evening.
As a Cheka-born, Ho has been involved in politics since 1985, when he was 21, and he is no stranger to the local population.
This could aid him in his bid to defend the seat for BN despite facing PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who is Perikatan Nasional’s pick for the seat.
“We are not afraid to meet anyone... the important thing is that we work hard to ensure BN’s victory in the Cheka state seat. No matter what the election results are, (being) a local and married to a Lipis (local) allows me to continue serving the people.
“In fact, during the Covid-19 pandemic, I also often went to the ground to help deliver state government aid to the people around Lipis,” he said.
In the last election, the Cheka state seat was won by MCA candidate Lee Ah Wong with a 202-vote majority, beating PAS candidate Saludin Endol who got 3,273 votes, while PKR representative Rasid Muhamad received 2,930 votes.
The national polls will be held on November 19, with the Election Commission setting tomorrow as candidate nomination day followed by early voting on 15 November. – Bernama, November 4, 2022
