BAHAU: MCA’s Bahau candidate Chong Fui Ming is banking on a 20-year record of community service to secure success in the upcoming Negri Sembilan state election.
The 49-year-old accountant said winning a seat would allow him to help residents more quickly and effectively.
He added that his years serving the community, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, had shaped his campaign message of “susah senang bersama” (through good times and bad).
“People here know how we’ve served them over the past 20 years. Even when we were not the government during Covid-19, we still helped many people.
“Everybody was calling me, asking for help to get vaccine appointments. Many elderly people couldn’t get their slots. That’s a memory I can never forget,” he told The Star.
Chong, who has operated an accounting practice in Bahau since 2006, said he hopes voters will remember those efforts despite MCA not being in power at the time.
“I hope the people here can look back and remember what we did. We were not the government, but we still stood with them through difficult times,” he said.
If elected, Chong said he will leverage the authority and access that comes with being an assemblyman to build on the work he is already doing in the constituency.
“My service to Bahau has been almost 20 years. Becoming an assemblyman would allow me to help people even faster,” he said.
Besides running his accounting firm, Chong is a licensed tax agent, a Commissioner for Oaths and has served as a Jempol Municipal Council member.
He is also active in several community organisations, including associations representing small traders, the Hakka community and volunteer groups.
He said residents frequently approached him not only for matters related to his professional work but also for help navigating government procedures and obtaining official documentation.
“The people here know me because I’ve been meeting them every day for many years.
“Through my work, politics and community organisations, I’ve had the opportunity to help people in many different ways,” he said.
Chong acknowledged that Bahau remains a difficult seat for MCA, adding that the party has lost the constituency for the past two elections.
“Of course it’s a challenge. But we’ll do our best. Who knows, maybe we can create a miracle in Bahau,” he said.
He also expressed confidence that Barisan Nasional could retain Negri Sembilan after the state polls, although he said any post-election cooperation would be decided by the coalition leadership rather than individual candidates.
“Our job is to focus on serving the people and doing our part here in Bahau,” he said.
Bahau, which has 25,972 registered voters, has been held by DAP’s Teo Kok Seong since 2018 and is widely regarded as one of the party’s strongholds in Negri Sembilan.
In the Aug 1 state election, Teo is seeking another term for Pakatan Harapan against Chong in a straight fight.
