One year after Teluk Intan polls, BN yet to fulfil 5 promises, says Dyana Sofya

Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Mah Siew Keong (centre) campaigning at last year’s Teluk Intan by-election. Today, his rival reminded him about the five promises he made to voters in the constituency. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, May 31, 2015.

A year after Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Mah Siew Keong won the hotly contested Teluk Intan by-election, his contender, DAP's Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud has reminded him of the five promises he made to his voters which she said remain unfulfilled.

Although Mah won his seat in Parliament and was rewarded with a Cabinet post, on the back of his "sweet" manifesto, Teluk Intan voters had yet to reap any rewards, said Dyana in a statement today.

For instance, the WiFi zone the Gerakan president pledged to set up in the town had yet to materialise, she said.

"Although Teluk Intan is listed in TMNet's website as being a Unifi zone, our checks found that the service is still not available in Teluk Intan.

"Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the local authorities must set up broadband infrastructure in the area. Have the works begun and what efforts are being made to fulfil this promise?"

She said Mah had also promised to establish a university in his constituency, yet the plot of land designated for the institution was still not gazetted and remained under the name of a public-listed company.

"Before this, his manifesto emphasised education as a way to transform Teluk Intan. Yet until now, the people of Teluk Intan are still waiting for a detailed plan and the progress and development it will bring."

Meanwhile, the state government's statement in December 2014 that there were no plans to turn Teluk Intan into a modern agricultural hub had also dashed voters' dreams and ran contrary to Mah's promise.

Dyana also wanted to know the progress of Teluk Intan's flood mitigation, which Mah said he would resume and would cost an estimated RM360 million.

"Although RM30 million has been approved to begin the project, what is the timeline for the project and when will the remaining RM330 million be given to the Department of Irrigation and Drainage?"

Mah had also promised to have the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan listed as a Unesco heritage site, but this had only resulted in Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declaring it a national heritage site on February 28.

Dyana said Muhyiddin's announcement was not a new development, as in May 2012, then culture, arts and heritage minister Tan Sri Rais Yatim had made a similar proclamation.

"A year after the Teluk Intan by-election, there has been a lot of flip-flopping in carrying out the BN manifesto. The people and voters of Teluk Intan want to know the status of the various projects promised.

"I hope that the manifesto isn’t just mere promises and I urge Teluk Intan MP Datuk Mah Siew Keong, who is also a senior BN minister, to make it reality," said Dyana.

Last year, political newbie Dyana was narrowly defeated by Mah by 238 votes.

Mah obtained 20,157 votes against Dyana's 19,919. There were 550 spoilt votes.

Mah was a two-term Teluk Intan MP after winning the federal seat in the 1999 and 2004 general elections. But since then, he lost to M. Manogaran (in 2008 by 1,830 votes) and Seah Leong Peng in 2013, by 7,313 votes), both of DAP.

- TMI