Sg Siput: Will handouts win back seat for BN?
(fz.com) – Since the opposition took over, there has hardly been any development and the town has been stagnant
Will handouts and development promises help Barisan Nasional (BN) recapture the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat?
The seat was won by Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj in an unexpected victory against former MIC strongman Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu in the 2008 polls, but it is unclear if this feat can be repeated in the upcoming election.
One reason for a possible voter swing against the activist doctor is the perceived lack of physical development in the area.
“Just look around,” said Diana (not real name), a Sungai Siput native and a mother of three.
“Since the opposition took over, there has hardly been any development and the town has been stagnant,” said the social worker. “Last time, during Samy Vellu’s time, you can visually see the changes to this small town.
“You look at the road, it’s like highway. Which other small town has this kind of road,” she asked.
And the residents don’t just see such four-lane, well maintained road as a pride of the town; they are also being reminded that it as a symbol of the development that BN is capable of delivering – instantly.
No one is more aware of this than Samy, the former works minister who served as the local MP for 34 years.
While he won’t be a candidate this time around, the man who is credited with bringing a lot of development to Sungai Siput has been named by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the BN coordinator for the constituency.
And Samy is wasting no time in trying to regain lost support. He has been there four days a week since last October with non-stop engagements throughout the day.
Read more at: http://fz.com/content/sg-siput-will-handouts-win-back-seat-bn
