Sign SD first, get votes later - KKB estate workers

 

Feeling cheated by the “empty” promises of politicians, voters from five estates in the Kuala Kubu Baharu state constituency have set a condition for candidates vying for their votes in the upcoming by-election.

According to the group’s representative Vasudevan Raja Manickam, candidates who want their votes must sign a statutory declaration (SD) promising to fulfil all their election promises.

Vasudevan said this is because the estate dwellers are “tired” of being repeatedly “conned” by elected representatives.

“We don’t want to get cheated again by empty promises by politicians. We have more than 500 votes in the area.

“If a candidate wants our votes, he or she must first sign the SD that we have prepared and fulfil the pledges made in the document after they have won the election,” Vasudevan told Malaysiakini.

The voters are from Ladang Nigel Gardner, Ladang Bukit Tagar, Ladang Mary, Ladang Minyak, and Ladang Sungai Tinggi.

Housing issues

Vasudevan said the estate dwellers did not just “conjure” up the contents of the SD, which was sighted by Malaysiakini.

Instead, it is a compilation of promises made by previous elected representatives, he said.

Among them is a plan to build 245 units of low-cost houses for workers from the five estates in a 20-acre plot of land provided by Berjaya Corp Bhd in 2019.

It is learned that the housing units in the five estates have not been completed despite the land provided by the workers’ former employer due to insufficient funds.

The voters want the winning candidate to deal with a sanctioned residents’ association and estate workers on matters concerning their welfare rather than dealing with “cronies”, politicians, or employers.

In addition, the group also wants the new assemblyperson to ensure there won’t be forced eviction of workers and former workers until permanent housing arrangements are made.

Vasudevan said there have been no solutions to their issues despite multiple meetings with representatives of the state and federal governments in the past.

The Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election is being held following the death of its three-term incumbent, DAP’s Lee Kee Hiong.

The Pakatan Harapan-BN coalition is fielding Pang Sock Tao, an aide to Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, against Perikatan Nasional’s Khairul Azhari Saut, who is Hulu Selangor Bersatu acting chief.

Tomorrow is nomination day, while polling day is on May 11. - Mkini