Villagers wait in vain for promised cash in Semenyih

SEMENYIH POLLS | The villagers of Kampung Baru Semenyih were left disappointed yesterday, as they waited in vain for a promised cash handout of RM100 by an unknown party.

As word of the free money spread, hundreds of gathered at an eatery beside a market in the village as they were told to.

When met today, Chin, an 80-year-old retiree, said many of the villagers submitted photostat copies of their MyKad to register for the promised cash.

"They started to gather at 11am, and some even waited until 7.30pm yesterday," he said, adding that everyone, regardless of age, was said to have been entitled to the money.

Another villager, who declined to be named, said some even brought along their children and waited patiently for the cash that never came.

Kampung Baru Semenyih village chief Gan Boon Chong – who was with Pakatan Harapan candidate for Semenyih Muhammad Aiman Zainali while campaigning at the same eatery – was even branded a "liar" by the villagers.

'This is a scam'

"I was called a liar this morning, and I am in the dark. A villager said someone used my name to promise the money. Up to 500 photostat copies of MyKads were collected.

"I would like to state that the Harapan government would not hand out money (during the election campaign period).

"This is a scam. Someone has messed things up so that the villagers would not support Harapan in the Semenyih polls," he said, adding that a police report will be lodged over the matter tomorrow.

The Semenyih by-election was called following the death of Harapan incumbent Bakthiar Mohd Nor.

The seat has 54,503 voters, with the electorate being 69.2 percent Malay, 16.8 percent Chinese and 13.3 percent Indian.

Kampung Baru Semenyih is the largest Chinese-majority polling district in the constituency with 3,211 voters.

It is estimated that 83 percent of Chinese voters voted for Bakthiar in the 14th general election.

For the March 2 polls, Aiman will face off against BN's Zakaria Hanafi, PSM's Nik Aziz Afiq Abdul and independent candidate Kuan Chee Heng. - Mkini