Pontian MCA all out to reclaim Pulai Sebatang seat

Standing united: Hasni (centre) flanked by Tee (right) and Ahmad at the Pontian MCA Chinese New Year dinner celebration held at the Fat See Kong Kow Beow temple. — Bernama

PONTIAN: Pulai Sebatang assemblyman Muhammad Taqiuddin Cheman of Parti Amanah Negara was a "hot topic" at a Chinese New Year dinner here.

“We do not know where he went," claimed Pontian MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan, referring to Muhammad Taqiuddin's "absence" in the constituency.

“He has been included in the missing persons list,” he quipped at the dinner organised by Pontian MCA here.

Pontian is made up of the Benut and Pulai Sebatang state seats.

Ahmad, who attended Monday's dinner with caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad, said that the wrong candidate was elected in Pulai Sebatang (in the 14th general election) as the incumbent assemblyman was not around much.

Ahmad also delivered a Malay poem at the request of Pontian MCA division chief Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, asking the people to be careful about their choice in the upcoming Johor election.

At the end of his speech, he announced an allocation of RM3,000 each to 16 Chinese primary schools and one Tamil primary school as well as RM10,000 to Pei Chun High School in the district, totalling RM61,000.

Earlier, Tee in his speech also mentioned that Muhammad Taqiuddin was nowhere to be seen after GE14.

“I am confident about Pontian MCA’s election machinery. We aim to help Barisan defend the Benut seat, whose incumbent is Hasni, and wrestle back the Pulai Sebatang seat,” added Tee, who is an adviser to the Johor Mentri Besar.

Tee was MCA’s Pulai Sebatang candidate in GE14 where be garnered 11,112 votes against Muhammad Taqiuddin’s 14,507 votes.

When contacted, Muhammad Taqiuddin laughed the matter off, saying that Ahmad’s remarks was his way of making a joke to gain voters’ attention.

“When Pakatan Harapan became the government and even after we were toppled, I have been going to the ground for welfare activities in my constituency including distributing Covid-19 aid and flood aid. I helped out with flood mitigation activities in Kampung Jawa," he said.

On Feb 5, Pakatan announced that Muhammad Taqiuddin was their candidate for the Mahkota seat in Kluang.