TAMPIN: Long before he was known as Barisan Nasional’s Repah candidate, Koh Kim Swee was simply “Ah Swee” – a fatherless boy serving customers at a village coffee shop here.
Decades later, the local boy said the hardships that shaped his childhood are now driving his mission to bring jobs, better education and opportunities back to the constituency he spent most of his life in.
The 55-year-old lost his father when he was two and was raised by his aunt, while his mother worked in Kuala Lumpur to support the family.
The third of four siblings, he spent his childhood serving at a coffee shop in Kampung Baru Tampin.
After completing his SPM, he left home to work at an electronics shop in Segamat for three years before returning to Tampin to open a coffee shop and later venture into other businesses.
He said those early experiences shaped his resilience and sense of responsibility.
Koh said he was active in community service for years, including during the Covid-19 pandemic, when he helped with food basket distribution, vaccination arrangements and assistance for residents regardless of race or religion.
His background, he said, made him more aware of the struggles faced by working class families, especially in terms of education.
“Even if we are poor, we must not be lacking in education,” he said.
Koh has served as chairman of the board of governors of SJK(C) Kampung Baru Tampin since 2018.
He is also Tampin MCA division chairman, Negri Sembilan MCA liaison committee secretary and served as a Tampin district council member from 2014 to 2026.
He lost the Repah seat in the 2018 general election by about 3,000 votes and was not fielded in 2023.
But Koh remained active in the constituency, assisting residents and representing the MP at local events.
“I stayed on because this is my home.”
His manifesto focuses on education, welfare, economic development and creating more local jobs.
Koh said many young people left Tampin for Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru because of limited economic opportunities.
“Tampin is a happy place to live in, but we need to have jobs, more business growth and other economic activities so that young people can stay and families do not have to be separated.”
Koh proposed attracting more investment by converting suitable agricultural land into industrial areas while helping landowners manage conversion costs.
Development, he said, should preserve Tampin’s small-town character while providing better jobs and schools.
“I am a local boy. I know this place, I know the people. I want to help bring Tampin forward.”
