‘YooCare’ vows a better future for Alor Setar folk

ALOR SETAR: At first glance, several large “YooCare” posters and billboards put up around town may be mistaken as advertisements for a healthcare company.

But upon closer look, it was the brainchild of Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Yoo Wei How (pic) as part of his campaigning strategy to woo voters here.

“For me, a personal touch is important when I reach out to voters, which is why I mooted the YooCare brand.

“Yoo is my surname, which indirectly is me. My aim is to look into every issue affecting the community and work towards making a better future for all Alor Setar folk,” said the MCA organising secretary.

In this polls, Yoo is facing PKR’s Chan Ming Kai and Muhammad Aminur Shafiq Mohamad Abduh of PAS in a three-cornered fight for the Alor Setar parliamentary seat.

Yoo, 45, strongly believes that a people’s representative must truly appreciate his constituency in order to serve the people well.

“If an MP or assemblyman does not love the place he represents and neglects it, then he would not treat the problems faced by people as his own.

“Both Tan Eng Hwa (Barisan candidate for Kota Darul Aman state seat) and I are locals and we have many relatives and friends here.

“So, whatever problems the people are facing here, we will take it up as it also affects us,” he said.

A Kedahan, Yoo was born and brought up here before he went to study business management in Kuala Lumpur.

After graduation, he ventured into politics, joining MCA as an ordinary member in 1992.

He served at the MCA headquarters and under then MCA youth chief Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy.

From 1999 until 2013, he served MCA ministers in three different ministries, namely Human Resources, Transport and Health.

In 2015, he was appointed Senator, and served until his term expired in December last year.

Yoo’s other appeal is his cool and mild-mannered character, which endears him to the people.

“I will not run down my opponents because I feel the people of Alor Setar prefer a peaceful political environment.

“They don’t like politicians who bad mouth and hurl false allegations against others but seek those who can really work for them.

“So I will just do my work to the best of my ability and let the people be the judge,” he said.

On his hectic campaign trail, Yoo admitted feeling the heat with a tight schedule consisting of up to 20 programmes a day at times.

“I am blessed to have family support for the past 20 years. My wife usually attends events organised by women’s associations and groups, and helps to campaign for me there,” he said.