PH candidate confident of wresting Bukit Kepong from PN

 PKR's C Subramani says his grassroots service in Pagoh and close ties with its residents put him in a strong position to challenge incumbent Dr Sahruddin Jamal.

C Subramani (left) was accompanied by R Yuneswaran (centre) during nominations for the Bukit Kepong state seat this morning.

PAGOH:

Pakatan Harapan candidate C Subramani is confident of wresting the Bukit Kepong seat from Perikatan Nasional in the Johor state election.

Subramani said his confidence stemmed from his track record as PKR’s Pagoh division chief for three terms and his close relationship with the residents.

He said his nine years of grassroots work would allow him to match the strengths of incumbent Dr Sahruddin Jamal of PN, a former Johor menteri besar.

“He has his strengths, and I have mine,” he told reporters after nominations at the Pagoh Sports Complex today.

If elected, he said, he would prioritise basic issues affecting the residents, including street lighting, tourism development, job opportunities, and affordable housing.

Subramani said many young people had been forced to leave the area for Singapore or Kuala Lumpur because of the lack of employment opportunities.

“There are stretches where there are no street lights at all. Job opportunities are limited because there is little industrial development. Affordable housing is also almost non-existent,” he said.

Segamat MP R Yuneswaran said PH stood a good chance of winning Bukit Kepong as voter sentiment had shifted since the last state election.

He said PN’s previous victory margin was relatively slim, giving PH room to mount a strong challenge.

“Sahruddin won by only about 700 votes. This time around, voter sentiment is different,” he said, pointing out that more than 37% of the voters here are non-Malays.

Yuneswaran said the key issues in Bukit Kepong included job opportunities, industrial development, infrastructure, and flood mitigation.

He said the federal government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had approved several major infrastructure projects, including the Electric Train Service, Rapid Transit System, the double-tracking rail project, and flood mitigation works.

“Pagoh is one of the areas frequently hit by floods, and flood mitigation works along Sungai Muar are currently under way and being upgraded,” he said. - FMT