PERLING voters in Johor hope to see their constituency’s steady development sustained and that the long-standing traffic congestion issues will be resolved.
For Alice Tan, who works at a cafe in Singapore, Perling remains a convenient place to live because of its strategic location and abundant amenities.
“We have easy access to shops, eateries and other facilities, so most things we need are nearby,” she said.
She hopes that future development will balance infrastructure growth with preserving quality of life.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner Teoh Kah Siang, 42, said Perling has seen consistent improvements over the years, with local issues generally addressed promptly by the relevant authorities.
“If there are complaints involving roads, streetlights or other infrastructure issues, action is usually taken quite quickly.
“Overall, things are managed well and Perling has continued to improve,” he said.
The father of three, who has lived in Perling for about 30 years and runs his practice locally, said the constituency remained a comfortable place to live and work.
“Business is generally stable despite some traffic congestion at times.
“The area feels safe; we do not really face serious security issues and residents can go about their daily activities with peace of mind,” said Teoh.
He expressed hope that the elected representative would maintain this momentum and remain responsive to residents’ concerns.
Echoing similar sentiments, school management assistant Aisha Mohd Yusof, 39, said one of Perling’s strengths was its community spirit.
“What I really like about this place is there are activities almost every weekend, whether for young people, senior citizens or families.
“Such programmes, often organised by residents with the support of the assemblyman or the state government, bring residents together and create a stronger sense of community,” said the mother of two.
Aisha, who has organised school programmes, noted that it was remarkably straightforward to obtain state or federal assistance.
“When we need help for community or school programmes, support is usually available through one channel or another.
“We submit our proposals and the assistance needed, and the relevant parties are often willing to help make it happen,” she said, adding that she had coordinated such initiatives.
Aisha said activities such as community aerobics sessions for senior citizens kept residents engaged and fostered closer ties among neighbours.
“I hope this support continues regardless of who is elected as the next assemblyman or which coalition forms the next state government,” said Aisha.
However, residents want traffic conditions to improve.
Technician E. Emmanuel Raj, 21, said traffic congestion and sub-par roads remained a major problem.
“The main issue that needs to be resolved is the traffic congestion during peak hours.
“Aside from that, many roads are poorly maintained, riddled with potholes, uneven surfaces and speed bumps that are not properly marked,” he said.
Emmanuel said improving road infrastructure and traffic management should be among the priorities for candidates and parties in the constituency.
“I hope whoever wins will focus on addressing these problems permanently, making it easier for people to get around.”
Tan, 26, said traffic flow in Perling was a daily issue.
“Traffic congestion can be incredibly frustrating, especially for those of us who travel to and from Singapore regularly.
“Even small improvements to traffic management would make a big difference to our daily commute,” she said.
Perling is a mixed seat with a demographic composition of 44.9% Chinese, 37.6% Malay, 12.9% Indian and 4.9% other races.
The seat, previously known as Pengkalan Rinting, was first contested during the 11th General Election (GE11) in 2004.
It was formed during a redelineation exercise in 2003 and renamed Perling in 2018.
In the previous state election, Pakatan Harapan’s Liew Chin Tong won the seat with a 3,347 majority in a three-cornered fight against Barisan Nasional’s Tan Hiang Kee (MCA) and Perikatan Nasional’s Koo Shiaw Lee (Gerakan).
The election saw 43,826 voters, or 43.3% of the 101,263 registered voters, cast their ballots.
On June 22, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also Pakatan’s chairman, announced DAP’s Alan Tee Boon Tsong as the coalition’s candidate for the seat.
Yesterday, Johor Barisan chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced first-time candidate MIC’s B. Pannir Selvam for Perling in the Johor election.
Tee served one term as Senai assemblyman after winning GE14 in 2018.
He contested the Yong Peng seat in the 2022 Johor polls but lost to Barisan’s Ling Tian Soon (MCA), who won by a 2,741-vote margin.
