Senatorship not an option for Mah to help develop Teluk Intan

For Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in the Teluk Intan by-election, Datuk Mah Siew Keong, the post of senator is not an option for him to help develop the parliamentary constituency.

"I am here and contesting in Teluk Intan as I want to take care of Teluk Intan and further develop the area. As senator, I will not be able to do much. I want to be an elected representative as I believe I will be able to help, especially in terms of infrastructural development, investment and employment for the youth."

Mah said this in response to the DAP's campaign claiming that if its candidate won, the people of Teluk Intan would not lose out as the BN candidate could be appointed as senator and would have a voice in Parliament.

He was met by reporters after meeting with voters at the Teluk Intan main market, here, today.

A local-born, Mah said his decision to contest the seat was due to his feeling responsible to help bring more development to the area and the constituents.

He said there were projects that were planned for Teluk Intan when he was its MP from 1999 until 2008 but could not be implemented yet at the time.

The Gerakan president said if DAP was so keen to field Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang's political secretary, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud as its candidate in the by-election, it too could appoint her as a senator under the Penang government's quota.

"She is still young and has lots of opportunities," said Mah, who regarded himself as the underdog in the by-election, considering that he had lost in the 2008 and 2013 general elections.

"We need to win by working hard and not through cheap politics and personal attacks. We fight on the basis of wanting to do good things for the 'rakyat' (people)."

On the voters' response so far, he said as the by-election campaign entered its second day, the response appeared to be better than in the last two general elections.

"We are holding more ceramah (talks), especially on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as much information on it have been twisted by the opposition, besides efforts taken in combating corruption," he added.

The Teluk Intan by-election will see a straight contest between Mah and Dyana Sofya, following the death of the incumbent MP Seah Leong Peng, 48, fron DAP, on May 1.

Early voting will be on May 27 and polling on May 31.

Meanwhile, Gerakan adviser Datuk Chang Ko Youn at a news conference here shared Mah's views on the senatorship issue which the former said DAP kept harping about to deceive the voters.

Chang said DAP should prove first that Dyana was capable and "just don't come here to make promises".

He said DAP's action of fielding a Malay in the by-election was just to fish for Malay votes, while sidelining its local leader to hide the internal conflict in Perak DAP, particularly between former Teluk Intan MP M.Kulasegaran and state DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming.