Meeting the constituents: Mohamad Yusri (third from right) showing his name written in various scripts, with some residents of Kg Baru Coldstream. He is accompanied by Dr Mah (second from right).
BIDOR: It’s a small Chinese new village with a unique name, but it’s one of the major stops for newly-elected Ayer Kuning assemblyman Dr Mohamad Yusri Bakir, barely 72 hours after his by-election victory.
Villagers from Kg Baru Coldstream, which got its name from the Coldstream Guards of the British army, came out early yesterday morning to greet him and MCA deputy president Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon at coffeeshops in the area.
Mohamad Yusri, 54, told the mostly Hakka villagers that he would work towards promoting racial harmony and safeguarding unity.
“We firmly reject any form of extremism or those who seek to sow division among the races, particularly within Ayer Kuning,” he said.
He expressed his gratitude for the warm reception from residents here, describing it as an encouragement and motivation to continue with his plans for the state constituency.
He said he was mindful of the issues raised by locals such as their need for better water pressure and for more streetlights, saying many villagers had expressed their concerns to him and Dr Mah.
They also showedcased their local produce for sale such as chives, pucuk paku and yam.
Kg Baru Coldstream, which is about 80km from Ipoh, was founded in 1948. Many assumed that the new village was named after the cool river water of Sungai Bidor that flows through the settlement.
However, its name had come from the British army unit which had once been stationed there.
Dr Mah said he was confident that Mohamad Yusri would carry out his task well.
He said that despite being newly-elected, Mohamad Yusri had long been active in the area.
“He understands the people and the place well. He will continue to meet more people. I am confident that he will shoulder this responsibility with excellence,” Dr Mah said yesterday.
Dr Mah said that their visit to Kg Baru Coldstream was part of efforts to thank voters, especially in one of the key areas of Ayer Kuning.
Based on public reception, he said that the people had responded warmly to Mohamad Yusri.
He said the by-election outcome showed that there was about 89% support from voters in this area.
“This is a very clear result. The voters here are confident of his track record,” he added.
The Ayer Kuning by-election last Saturday came about following the death of incumbent assemblyman, Tapah Umno chief Ishsam Shahruddin, in February.
Mohamad Yusri, who is the current Tapah Umno secretary, secured 11,065 votes, defeating Perikatan Nasional’s Abd Muhaimin Malek (6,059 votes) and KS Bawani of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (1,106 votes).
