V. Gunalan with Mat Sabu (seated) and PAS's Mohamed Diah Baharum on nomination day.
BARISAN Nasional’s Kota Raja parliamentary candidate V. Gunalan is taken aback by the remarks made by his challenger Mohamad Sabu who said he was not a worthy challenger.
The MIC man said the Parti Amanah Negara president was too arrogant in dismissing him as a non-challenger.
“Mat Sabu told voters from Kota Raja that I was not a worthy challenger to contest against him during his election campaign trail.
“I accept that he is a very popular figure, but it does not mean that he should underestimate me,” said the Sepang MIC chairman.
Gunalan added that he had a lot of respect for Mat Sabu and had not expected such a remark from a man of his standing.
All the same, he said Mat Sabu’s remark had given him added drive to go all out in GE14.
“Mat Sabu may be popular but I am worker. I believe the voters wants a MP who is willing to serve them, not one who is only good at talking,” he said during his press conference since nomination day.
Furthermore, Gunalan said, Mat Sabu was an outsider who came from another state and, as such, Kota Raja voters would likely regret it if they voted for him as their member of parliament.
Gunalan said he had been actively moving around Kota Raja over the past four days and had not heard of Mat Sabu having visited any of the venues he had gone to.
“I can tell the people of Kota Raja that Mat Sabu will not be with you people when his presence is required because he stays outside Selangor.
“I am a Dengkil resident and will move house to Kota Raja if I am elected as the MP here,” he said
Meanwhile, Gunalan said, improving the condition of roads and resolving the flash flood problem at the constituency was his priority if was elected.
As a MIC Sepang division chairman, he said, he had given the best service to the Indian community in the district over the past five years.
“Likewise, I can do a lot more for the people of Kota Raja and hope the voters will give me a chance to prove myself,” Gunalan said, adding that he would be also pushing for a government hospital to be built at Kota Kemuning.
Gunalan and Mat Sabu are involved in a three-corner fight for the seat along with Mohamed Diah Baharum of PAS.
