MELAKA, Nov 14 — The issue on residents of Sungai Udang here being left out or ignored, especially in terms of their welfare needs, will be a major focus for Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Seri Mohamad Ali Mohamad if he gets the people’s mandate in the Melaka State Election this Nov 20.

Mohamad Ali, who is Melaka Umno Liaison deputy chairman, said the issue should be taken seriously as the affected residents, in two housing areas and a village, are also part of the voters in the Sungai Udang constituency and they have the right to enjoy privileges like those in other areas.

Describing the situation as inappropriate and unfair to the residents involved, he said he would do his best to resolve problems their problems, if he were elected as the Sungai Udang State Assemblyman.

“They are part of the voters in the Sungai Udang constituency even though the housing estate and the village have been gazetted as areas within the Lendu state constituency due to the redelineation of the electoral boundary.

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“As an elected representative, I will have to help them even if they are residents in the constituency as it is part of the responsibility of an elected representative,” he told reporters when met in Klebang here today.

Yesterday, Bernama reported on residents of two housing areas and a village in Sungai Udang who claimed that they have been ‘ignored’ as a result of the redelineation of electoral boundaries in 2018, and are appealing to the government to resolve various issues facing them.

They claimed the redelineation exercise has resulted in Taman Indah, Taman Terendak Heights and the Tanah Merah settlement area to be part of the Lendu state constituency, under the Alor Gajah district, but the residents remain as voters in the Sungai Udang state constituency.

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The residents also claimed that it has caused confusion as well as made it difficult for them to get help from their elected representative, the State Legislative Assembly Development and Coordination Committee Office (Japerun) and the local authorities.

Mohamad Ali who is also Tangga Batu Umno division chief said he would request for the two housing areas and the village to be placed back under the Sungai Udang state constituency if the delineation of electoral boundaries were to be held.

He said other issues raised by the residents in the Sungai Udang constituency included on road facilities, health and education, which he said, would be given attention to ensure the comfort and well being of the Sungai Udang constituents.

Sungai Udang is located in the Tangga Batu parliamentary constituency. It houses, apart from Terendak Camp which is a military camp, the Sungai Udang Prison and a Petronas refinery.

There are a total of 22,866 registered voters in the constituency, with 9,577 of them early voters, comprising members of the armed forces and the police.

The contest for the Sungai Udang seat is a four-cornered fight involving Mohamad Ali, Dr Mohd Aleef Yusof of Perikatan Nasional, Hasmorni Tamby (Pakatan Harapan) and Major General (Rtd) Datuk Mohd Zahar Hasim (Independent).

In the 14th General Election, the Sungai Udang state seat was won by Datuk Seri Idris Haron from BN with a majority of 2,229 votes, defeating Mohd Lokman Abdul Gani of PKR.

The Election Commission has set Nov 20 as polling day for the Melaka state election, with early voting on Nov 16.

The election is called following the dissolution of the state assembly on Oct 4 after four state assemblymen withdrew support for the Chief Minister. — Bernama