NILAI: Having spent more than a decade helping terminally ill cancer patients access hospice care, Barisan Nasional's Nilai candidate Datuk Alan Lai Chen Kuang says public service must begin with understanding the real needs of people on the ground.
For Lai, who is also known as Lai Chien Kong, community service did not start with the election campaign.
The MCA leader said he had been involved in grassroots work for many years through political service, welfare activities, education bodies, business associations and non-governmental organisations.
"I started serving from the time I first joined politics. I grew up from the grassroots," Lai said in an interview.
"Although my father was a leader in the party and a state assemblyman for three terms, I was always taught to work from the ground up," he said.
Lai said his involvement in hospice work was among the experiences that shaped his understanding of public service.
He said through the hospice organisation, he was able to help bring palliative care services to Mantin and surrounding communities.
"After being involved in the organisation for more than 10 years, I think more than 100 people in Mantin have benefited from hospice services," Lai said.
He said hospice care was especially important for terminally ill cancer patients, as medical care and equipment could be costly for many families.
"Many B40 families, and even some M40 families, may not be able to afford such medical services," he said.
"That is where hospice groups come in. They educate the families, provide services and help them. They also give family members some time to rest," Lai said.
Lai, who is contesting under the Barisan ticket in a five-cornered fight, said MCA's role remained rooted in protecting the rights of the Chinese community, while also serving all Malaysians.
"MCA is an ethnic Chinese association and its role is to serve the Chinese community and protect Chinese rights," he said.
"But at the same time, we promote multiracial assistance. We do not only help our own race. We also help Malays, Indians and the Orang Asli community," Lai said.
He said he chose MCA because he believed the Chinese community needed a political platform to protect its rights, culture and interests through the democratic process.
Lai said his experience studying overseas had shown him how minority communities in other countries organised themselves to safeguard their interests.
"When I came back, I felt that as a Chinese Malaysian, I should participate actively in a political party that can protect my rights and culture," he said.
Lai said if elected, his priority would be to ensure Nilai had a stronger voice in state-level decision-making.
"If I am given the mandate to be a wakil rakyat, then I can be the voice of the people, particularly in ensuring that we have a say in policy decisions made within the state," he said.
He said his campaign was centred on five commitments - boosting the economy, improving livelihoods, enhancing the efficiency of government services, advancing education and securing a 10-year development blueprint for Nilai.
On improving livelihoods, Lai said flood mitigation and drainage upgrades were urgently needed as several areas faced recurring floods.
He said traffic congestion, especially during peak hours, was another issue that placed a burden on residents commuting to and from work.
On the economy, Lai said Nilai should take advantage of its strategic location near the Klang Valley to attract more investment and create jobs for young people.
He said his involvement in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce could be used as a platform to bring in investors, including from China through Belt and Road-related networks.
"The aim is to make Nilai an industrial hub," Lai said.
"This would create more economic activity and provide more job opportunities for the younger generation," he said.
Lai said Nilai had not grown as fast as expected despite once being seen as part of the Greater Klang Valley.
"Job opportunities are still not as high as expected. Many young people and new graduates are still looking for jobs in Kuala Lumpur, Johor or even Penang," he said.
"That is why I want to bring more businesses here, so we can develop this area, retain our younger generation and create opportunities for them," Lai said.
On the five-cornered contest, Lai said voters today were able to assess which candidates had been consistent in serving the community.
"They will look at whether a person has been present all along, or whether the person only appears during elections," he said.
"Some people contest, lose, disappear and then come back only when there is another chance. I think voters today are smart enough to know who to choose," Lai said.
He said early response from voters during walkabouts had been encouraging.
"When we go door to door and introduce ourselves, they respond very well," Lai said.
"In the past, some people may have ignored us because they were disappointed. But this time, I can see a different response. They smile. There is a sense of freshness," he said.
Lai said voters should be given an alternative at the ballot box.
"Even if we contest solo, we will contest because we want to offer an alternative to voters, rather than leaving them with no choice," he said.
On cooperation that Barisan made with Perikatan Nasional in Negri Sembilan, Lai said any political cooperation must be guided by the Federal Constitution and the protection of the rights of all communities.
"My baseline is that any decision made must follow the Federal Constitution," Lai said.
"The rights of all ethnic communities, especially the Chinese community, must be protected. At the same time, issues involving religion and culture must not marginalise any community," he said.
Nilai is a mixed constituency, with Malays making up 45.56% of voters, followed by Chinese at 30.09%, Indians at 20.94% and others at 3.41%.
Nilai is one of two five-cornered contests in the polls.
Lai faces incumbent J. Arul Kumar of Pakatan Harapan, Datuk V. Saravan Kumar of Perikatan-Bersatu, Zamani Ibrahim of Berjasa and Independent candidate Omar Isa.
