Going head to head: Yew (left) and Tang are eyeing to win Chuah in the coming election.
PORT DICKSON: Their town was once devastated by the Nipah virus outbreak but these days, the residents of Bukit Pelandok are looking forward to the development of a project known as the Malaysian Vision Valley (MVV).
The MVV 2.0 is an integrated economic region covering Seremban and Port Dickson.
Spread across 153,411ha, it is expected to contribute up to 15% of the country’s GDP once all development plans are completed in 2045.
Bukit Pelandok, which is about 25km from Port Dickson, was a thriving town with the country’s largest pig farming industry during the 1990s until the Nipah outbreak in 1999.
Today, Bukit Pelandok is predominantly inhabited by older residents who have shifted to small-scale agriculture.
And they are keeping their fingers crossed that their village will be revitalised under the MVV.
Resident Lee Sang, 55, a planter, recalled the days when Bukit Pelandok’s economy thrived on pig farming.
Back then, car salesmen would approach the farmers to sell Mercedes-Benz. Nearly every farmer drove a big sedan, he said.
But their lives changed when the Nipah virus wreaked havoc on the farms, leading to significant financial losses.
Lee opted for general farming after that and had no desire to return to animal husbandry.
Retiree Tan Kok Hwa, 58, said that “life has never been the same again, but residents try their best to earn enough and survive”.
He said they were not expecting a revival of the pig farming industry. “Many farmers have already switched to general farming,” he added.
“As long as the area remains politically and economically stable, villagers are contented that they can live and work in peace.”
Although his children have moved away, he said the proximity to Kuala Lumpur made it easy for them to stay connected.
“We hope to elect a people’s representative who will genuinely serve the people and provide assistance when needed,” he added.
Bukit Pelandok comes under the Chuah state seat, which is one of four constituencies under the Port Dickson parliamentary seat.
Villager Yap Kin Sing said that Bukit Pelandok is now dominated by elderly folk as the young have gone elsewhere to earn a living.
“Most of them opt to work in big cities,” said Yap, 71.
He highlighted the sluggish local economy and the rising cost of living, adding that he hoped the new state administration would help the local community by reducing their living expenses.
Two contenders are eyeing Chuah – Yew Boon Lye, 52, of Pakatan Harapan and Tang Jay Son, 49, of Perikatan Nasional.
Both men are making their electoral debut.
Yew, who is from PKR, expressed optimism about Chuah’s development potential, citing its strategic location just across the river from Sepang and within an hour’s drive to Port Klang, making it a low-cost and potential tourist attraction.
Other issues he wanted to address included water supply and sanitation problems.
As for Tang who is from Gerakan, he pledged to reside in Chuah and turn it into a tourist attraction.
Chuah requires an alternative development approach, he said.
He said Bukit Pelandok’s former pig farming business was no longer sustainable in view of its high cost.
“Nowadays, such farms require advanced technology and smart farming, resulting in high start-up costs,” he said.
