Bung Mokhtar to quit politics if …
(The Star) – Controversial Kinabatangan MP Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin has issued a warning – he will quit politics if he sees no development in his constituency within the next five years.
This will be the last term for the Sabah Umno politician in his poverty-stricken constituency bigger than Pahang if the government did not meet the demands of his voters for basic infrastructure especial sealed roads.
“I have been told by my voters to make sure the government give enough money to build roads. If not, I’m worried.
“Maybe they won’t vote for me or for BN again. I myself have decided that if the government doesn’t give my people good kampung roads, I will not contest anymore,” the 53-year-old firebrand MP told The Star Online.
The fourth-term MP said the current tanah merah (laterite) roads in the villages were flooded and became muddy whenever it rained, leaving villagers stranded for days.
Bung Mokhtar, who is married to actress Zizie Ezette, he had forwarded his voters’ request to Putrajaya and he was waiting for a positive reply.
“They just need small roads for their daily use, not highways. They are not asking for mega projects like the second Penang Bridge or the LRT that costs billions of ringgits.
“The people gave us the mandate during the elections. Barisan National’s tagline is Janji Ditepati (promises fulfilled), so I need this to be ditepati (fulfilled),” said the politician who is no stranger to controversy.
Bung Mokhtar hit the headlines for the wrong reasons and is often criticised for his uncouth remarks in Parliament.
On Wednesday when debating the motion of thanks on the Royal Address, Bung Mokhtar called Air Asia X chief Azran Osman Rani a Melayu biadap (an uncouth Malay) and said that he did not deserve to be a citizen for criticising Utusan Malaysia.
“If he said he is muak (disgusted) with Utusan I don’t care, but threatening to cut off all business deals with them is a threat to Malays,” he said.
Bung Mokhtar remains unapologetic for using the parliament space to attack Azran.
“He used his position as a CEO to blast Utusan on his Twitter and Facebook. It’s the same thing,” he said.
Bung said he wouldn’t change his style of dealing with issues, especially when it concerned the public.
“If I try to be like Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad (Johor Baru MP) maybe there is no more Kinabatangan or Bung Mokhtar. When I feel there is an issue I have to speak out, I will. I don’t care if it’s against the opposition, government or individuals,” he said.
He said he recently criticised the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for not being able to control social media and the police for not being able to curb the drug problem.
Bung Mokhtar said he was not affected by criticisms against him.
“They have their right to condemn me but I also have my right to reply and condemn them. This is a democratic country,” he said.
Denying that he was an attention seeker, Bung Mokhtar said it was the media that was sensationalising him.
“My voice is in the Dewan Rakyat, but the moment I speak, the reporters pick it up and put in the paper. I love some of it (the media coverage), but sometime I feel they put an ugly picture. But I don’t care because they are making me more popular,” he said.
