TELUK INTAN, May 30 — By voting Datuk Mah Siew Keong, Teluk Intan folk can get easier access to development funds as the Gerakan president has a direct link with both the state and federal governments, Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders said on the stump last night.

In comparison, they said Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is just political greenhorn with links only with Lim Kit Siang and the DAP, which is not even a ruling party.

“It is up to Teluk Intan people to determine their future, whether they want to be together with the BN state government and BN federal government, or with DAP which can do nothing,” Umno’s Datuk Ahmad Maslan told a BN rally near the Teluk Intan Leaning Tower here.

“Behind Mah there are all Perak state executive councillors, the mentri besar, all deputy ministers, deputy prime minister, all ministers, prime ministers. All ministries and government agencies. The whole BN government is with Mah.

“Who is there behind their candidate? Only Lim Kit Siang. Maybe Lim Guan Eng,” the deputy finance minister added, referring to DAP’s Penang chief minister.

BN banners for the ongoing campaign regularly features Mah’s face together with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir, a bid to emphasise the ruling pact’s power over both the state and federal governments.

The sentiment was shared by other speakers in the hastily convened event last night, including Gerakan deputy speaker Syed Abd Razak Alsagoff and the managing director of Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) Datuk Dr Kamarul Rashdan Salleh.

The rally was originally slated to be part of a bigger event in BN’s campaign for the by-election before the death of Perak Sultan yesterday, but had to be toned down as a mark of respect.

Ahmad told the crowd of few hundreds here that if Mah wins, he could easily pen a “support letter” requesting for funds, and it would almost certainly be heeded by any agency or ministry.

With Dyana however, nobody will likely take her letter seriously, he said.

“I myself, as a deputy finance minister, pledge before you ladies and gentlemen, [that I] will ensure that if Mah wins, we will solve many development problems present in Teluk Intan,” promised Ahmad.

The remarks came shortly after Najib promised last night that Mah will be given a minister post should he win the by-election.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders have claimed in rallies that Mah can be appointed as a minister if he is given a senatorship, even if he loses the by-election.

Therefore, they urged voters to choose DAP’s Dyana instead, reasoning that Mah has a fallback.

Mah has since denied the claim, saying that his party did not nominate him for a cabinet post or senatorship.

Mah, 53, will take on DAP’s Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, 26, in a straight fight on May 31.