BAGAN DATUK – Development in the constituency here is hardly substantial even though Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been an MP here for the last 27 years, on top of holding cabinet positions throughout his political career, said his rival.
PKR’s Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin chided Zahid, saying, “Before coming here, I thought the development in Bagan Datuk would be similar to Los Angeles or New York.”
“Zahid has been the MP here for 27 years, a former deputy prime minister no less. He has also been the home minister and the defence minister.
“Yet, when I tour the area, there is barely any substantial development. There aren’t even lights along the main roads here…not to mention clogged drains everywhere.
“After 27 years, why are the people of Bagan Datuk still talking about the same problems? It is time for a change,” he said during a ceramah at Kg Bagan Pasir, here last night.
The event was attended by some 200 people – a mix of Malay, Chinese and Indians.
He also berated Zahid over a “disappointing” track record as an elected lawmaker and even challenged the Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman to produce a report card detailing his achievements for the constituency.
Shamsul added that Pakatan Harapan (PH) is aggressively campaigning in Perak as the opposition coalition wishes to narrow the socio-economic development in the state.
“Selangor and Penang both flanked Perak. Look at what the state governments there under PH have done for the people.
“We would like to present the same, if not better, offers for the people of Perak,” said Shamsul, who is the Hang Tuah Jaya incumbent MP.
He added that this is evident as PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is contesting in Tambun, Perak.
Shamsul also questioned Zahid’s credibility and integrity, bringing up the slew of criminal charges and allegations of involvement in the littoral combat ship controversy brought against the Umno veteran.
“I would like to address Umno members…maybe some of them are here in the crowd.
“Why are you still supporting such a character, with numerous criminal charges against him, to be your president?
“You should not support him. In fact, you should throw him out during Umno’s internal election,” he said to a thunderous applause from the crowd.
Also at the event was PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who spoke about PH’s goals of introducing progressive socio-economic policies.
Meanwhile, a Kg Bagan Pasir resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said Zahid’s ceramah the night before at the same location only drew a little more than 100 people.
Shamsul was previously touted as a “giant killer” among his peers in PH as he defeated former Melaka chief minister Tun Mohd Ali Rustam to wrest the Bukit Katil parliamentary seat in 2013.
He managed to defeat Ali again in 2018 when the Bukit Katil constituency was changed to Hang Tuah Jaya.
In the 2018 general election, Zahid won the Bagan Datuk seat with a 5,073-vote majority after receiving 18,909 votes to defeat Pakhrurrazi Arshad (PKR) who received 13,836 votes and PAS candidate Ata Abdul Muneim Hasan Adli (4,061 votes).
Zahid also held the seat for five consecutive terms.
This time, Bagan Datuk sees a four-cornered fight between Zahid, Shamsul, Perikatan Nasional’s Muhammad Faiz Na’aman and independent Mohamed Tawfik Ismail.
The Bagan Datuk seat has 58,183 registered voters. – The Vibes, November 7, 2022
