MELAKA – The issue of residents of Sg Udang here being left out or ignored, especially in terms of their welfare needs, will be a major focus for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad if he gets the people’s mandate in the Melaka election this November 20.
Ali, who is Melaka Umno liaison deputy chairman, said the issue should be taken seriously as the affected residents, in two housing areas and a village, are also part of the voters in the Sg Udang constituency and have the right to enjoy privileges like those in other areas.
Describing the situation as inappropriate and unfair to the residents involved, he said he would do his best to resolve their problems if he is elected as the Sg Udang assemblyman.
“They are part of the voters in the Sg Udang constituency, even though the housing estate and the village have been gazetted as areas within the Lendu state constituency due to the redelineation of the electoral boundary.
“As an elected representative, I will have to help them even if they are residents in the constituency as it is part of an assemblyman’s responsibility,” he told reporters when met in Klebang here today.
Yesterday, Bernama reported on residents of two housing areas and a village in Sg Udang who claimed that they have been “ignored” as a result of the redelineation of electoral boundaries in 2018, and are appealing to the government to resolve various issues facing them.
They claimed the redelineation exercise has resulted in Taman Indah, Taman Terendak Heights, and the Tanah Merah settlement area being part of the Lendu state constituency, under the Alor Gajah district, but the residents remain as voters in the Sg Udang state constituency.
The residents also claimed that it has caused confusion and made it difficult for them to get help from their elected representative, the State Assembly Development and Coordination Committee Office and the local authorities.
Ali, who is also Tangga Batu Umno division chief, said he would request for the two housing areas and the village to be placed back under the Sg Udang state constituency if the delineation of electoral boundaries is held.
He said other issues raised by the residents in the Sg Udang constituency include those of road facilities, health, and education, which he said would be given attention to ensure the comfort and well-being of the Sg Udang constituents.
Sg Udang is located in the Tangga Batu parliamentary constituency. It houses, apart from the Terendak military camp, Sg Udang Prison and a Petronas refinery.
There are a total of 22,866 registered voters in the constituency, with 9,577 of them early voters, comprising members of the armed forces and police.
The contest for the Sg Udang seat is a four-cornered fight involving Ali, Mohd Aleef Yusof of Perikatan Nasional, Hasmorni Tamby (Pakatan Harapan), and independent Datuk Mohd Zahar Hasim.
In the 14th general election, the Sg Udang state seat was won by Datuk Seri Idris Haron from BN with a majority of 2,229 votes, defeating Mohd Lokman Abdul Gani of PKR.
The Election Commission has set November 20 as polling day for the Melaka state election, with early voting on November 16.
The election was called following the dissolution of the state assembly on October 4 after four state assemblymen withdrew support for the chief minister. – Bernama, November 14, 2021
