Subramaniam confident of retaining Segamat seat despite rumour

(The Star) – MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam has rubbished talk that his Segamat Parliamentary seat is among those in danger of falling to the Opposition because a majority of the constituents are Chinese.

The Human Resources Minister said his Chinese constituents, who make up almost half of the electorate, were aware of the work he had done for them, expressing confidence that they would continue supporting him.

“I know my constituents, especially the Chinese, well. I have resolved the issues affecting the community and they have no reason not to support Barisan,” he said after opening a RM1.9mil new block at SJKT Ladang Labu near here.

The Opposition has been claiming that Segamat was one of the Parliamentary seats in Johor that it was confident of winning.

Talk is also rife that either DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, who is now Ipoh Timur MP, or Johor PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng may be fielded in Segamat for the Opposition to make inroads into the southern state.

Dr Subramaniam defeated DAP’s Pang Hok Liong with a 2,971 vote majority in the 2008 general election by obtaining 15,921 votes against his opponent’s 12,950.

On another matter, Dr Subramaniam said the Indians should continue supporting Barisan as the ruling coalition had done a lot for the community.

“We received RM100mil last year which was used to finance the construction of 21 new Tamil schools that were relocated from rural areas and estates and to upgrade another 184 Tamil schools.

“We have received another RM100mil this year which we plan to use to upgrade between 150 and 180 more schools,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam said that due to this, more parents were now sending their children to Tamil schools with the ratio being at 52:48 in comparison to national schools.