KUALA LUMPUR – Incumbent Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil can be optimistic about successfully defending his parliamentary seat in the upcoming 15th general election (GE15) as his constituents commend the contributions he has made during his period as their representative.
When asked by The Vibes, Lembah Pantai locals unanimously acknowledged Fahmi’s grassroots presence, and the positive improvements he has made for the region, which they say have been more memorable than his predecessor’s.
Muhammad Hamidi, a Pantai Dalam resident, opined that Fahmi left a more noticeable mark during his leadership, as compared to Pakatan Harapan (PH) vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar during her two terms prior.
“It is true that he (Fahmi) has been giving support to the locals here,” Hamidi told The Vibes.
MPs like him and (Tan Sri) Shahrizat (Abdul Jalil) have made Lembah Pantai better.
“Meanwhile, there were no changes here when Nurul Izzah was administering for two terms.
“It is clear that she was not as attuned about this area as her successor,” the 32-year-old fishmonger added.
Nonetheless, Hamidi remarked that the assistance Fahmi offers is sometimes slow because of extensive reviewing processes.
Another local similarly alleged that while Fahmi consistently strives to assist the locals, his personal assistants are not as impartial, which causes the delay in assistance.
“I am not implying that Fahmi is biassed, he has no problem helping us,” the burger stall owner explained.
“But, before our requests reach him, they go through his personal assistants first. They might be playing favourites when they select which request gets to him,” she added.
Contrastingly, a former teaching assistant who lives nearby commented that none of the Lembah Pantai candidates are distinguishable, as they all propose the same manifestos.
“I have seen Fahmi walking around to help the locals, but there is no difference between him and the other candidates,” she said.
“All of them tend to make grand promises to help us, but their words do not match their actions.
“Our constituency stays the same in the end. There should be more improvements done,” she added.
In Kg Haji Abdullah Hukum, a man known as Mos said that he can confidently affirm the notion of Fahmi having good camaraderie with his constituents.
“When it comes to discussions about him helping us, most of us can agree on it. I can confidently deny if someone says otherwise,” he said.
However, he added that Fahmi’s efforts to be involved with the locals may not necessarily reflect a high voting turnout, as a number of them have unwavering sentiments.
“A number of the residents here vote solely based on the coalitions. They are not able to set the candidates and the party apart. As such, even if Fahmi makes good proposals, the people here may still vote for his contenders because of their party,” he lamented.
Another Abdullah Hukum resident said that Fahmi’s communication with the locals is not limited to when they are seeking help, as he initiates well wishes for them as well.
“Fahmi has been helping us. Usually, when people ask him for help, he will always lend a hand,” informed the convenience store owner.
“Even when we don’t need help, he still reaches out to locals. He sends in gift packages during festive seasons like Aidilfitri, and recently, Deepavali,” she added.
Fahmi won the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat in the 14th general election with a majority of 5,598 votes against Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin.
He is set to defend his seat in GE15 in a four-cornered fight with BN’s Ramlan Askolani, Perikatan Nasional’s Fauzi Abu Bakar, and Pejuang’s Noor Asmah Mohd Razalli.
At a teatime event in Kg Kerinchi yesterday, the Lembah Pantai hopeful announced that his salary would not be pocketed if he were to become an MP for the constituency.
Instead, he said it will be used as funds for those in need, while promising that he will care for Lembah Pantai and its constituents regardless of their political beliefs.
He added that he wishes to see Kg Kerinchi being gazetted, and Bangsar experiencing infrastructural growth that neither jeopardises its people nor the environment. – The Vibes, November 17, 2022
