Kulai district has grown from a small town to one of the busiest places in Johor.
OVER the years, the once quiet Kulai has turned into one of the busiest districts in Johor with many new businesses popping up to capitalise on its proximity to Singapore.
The district was previously known as “gui lai” in the early 1920s, which means “the arrival of tortoise” in Mandarin.
It is said the district was often hit by floods during the rainy season in the past and this resulted in many tortoises coming out of the rivers. From gui lai, the name changed to Kulai.
The Kulai parliamentary constituency encompasses three state seats, namely Bukit Batu, Bukit Permai and Senai.
It is home to several Felda settlements, including the earliest one in Johor – Felda Taib Andak.
Located about 30km from Johor Baru, Kulai is home to Johor Premium Outlet and Senai International Airport.
The district is seen as an important investment hub with the development of the Sedenak Tech Park (STeP), which is expected to be fully operational by 2023.
As of July this year, this high-tech industrial hub, formerly known as the Kulai Iskandar Data Exchange (Kidex), has accumulated RM12.5bil worth of investments.
However, locals feel that more can be done to increase development while improving the quality of life of people living here.
Muhammad Aminul Hafiz: Kulai plagued by flash floods.
Cashier Muhammad Aminul Hafiz Sharulanuar, 21, said the district was still plagued by flash floods.
“Improving the irrigation and drainage systems should be top on the list.
“The road leading toward the town area at Persiaran Indahpura Utama is often inundated after heavy rain,” he said.
He is also worried about poorly lit roads with potholes.
“I almost got into an accident while riding my motorcycle near the bus terminal as the road was dark and there was a pothole.”
Mechanic Chen Fun Ching, 36, said that one of the problems faced by businesses here was the lack of manpower because many locals opted to work across the border.
Chen: Businesses in Kulai face lack of manpower.
“There are a lot of job opportunities in Kulai but the salary is significantly lower compared to what Singapore can offer because of the better exchange rate.
“Most young people prefer to look for jobs in Singapore, leaving businesses here with no workers.
“The problem has become more acute after the border with Singapore reopened,” he added.
Chen, who lives in Kampung Seelong, said there was also unequal development between the town and rural areas in the district.
“Allocation for development should be equal across all of Kulai.
“It is unfair to only focus on the town area as people in rural areas will be left behind.”
Intern V. Nishantini, 24, said public amenities in Kulai needed to be improved to cater to the increased population.
“More people have been making Kulai their home and this is evident in the heavy traffic congestion we face on a daily basis,” she said.
“A majority of those working in Singapore live in Kulai as it is close to the border.
“So not only is there a need to improve public amenities but also increase the number of government clinics, hospitals and schools,” she added.
The majority of Kulai’s 150,000 registered voters are Chinese at 53%, while 35% are Malay and 12% Indian.
Nishantini: Improve amenities as population increasing.
In the 14th General Election, DAP’s Teo Nie Ching, who is also a former deputy minister, won the seat in a three-corner fight.
She gained a 32,748 majority against MCA’s Tang Nai Soon and Juwahir Amin from PAS.
When contacted, Johor MCA Youth chief Ling Tian Soon said the party hoped to wrest the seat from DAP, given its good service record.
“We plan to field a young candidate as there are many young voters in the constituency.
“As the state MCA Youth chief, I will ensure that we help the candidate get back this seat,” he said.
He pointed out that in the March state election, eight out of the 15 seats were contested by the party’s youth wing.
“Johor MCA Youth has many people with good potential and we welcome the party’s decision to field candidates from the wing in GE15,” said Ling.
