IPOH, Aug 21 ― Sungai Siput residents sent the state government a memorandum today asking it to tackle their problems with infrastructure and business that have gone on for over a decade.
Led by former Sungai Siput MP Dr D. Michael Jeyakumar, they delivered their demands to an aide of Mentri Besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu at the state secretariat building today.
Aside from the flooding and lack of affordable housing, the document also highlighted encroachment into Orang Asli ancestral lands, the eviction of smallholders, and the lack of jobs for lower income earners.
It also touched on economic issues such as insufficient promotion for local produce, low pay for estate workers, illegal settlements, abandoned developments, and the need for a local library.
“These problems aren't new. The residents has been facing it for a decade. The previous mentri besar, Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, did not even want to meet us. We did not receive any feedback to the memorandums,” Dr Jeyakumar said.
“We hope the current mentri besar will look into this matter and will sit down with us to discuss about it.”
He said he will submit the same memorandum to all Pakatan Harapan components in Sungai Siput, including to the current MP, S. Kesavan, on Sunday.
When asked which of problem requires immediate attention, Dr Jeyakumar said it will be unfair to just pinpoint one as all the 10 problems occured in different parts of Sungai Siput and all need a solution.
