Paya Rumput rep all set for the challenge
MELAKA: Paya Rumput assemblyman Datuk Sazali Muhd Din is not worried about the move by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia to unseat him.
He is banking on the close rapport he has with his constituents from various races.
“I detest the hypocritical approach of being close with people from various races now when the general election is close by.
“I have been friends with the Chinese and Indians since my school days, and I don’t focus on wooing one racial group alone to gain support,” he said in an interview.
Sazali was commenting on remarks on social media claiming that the Opposition is going to wrest Paya Rumput, which is a multi-racial state seat, from Barisan Nasional.
He won the seat in GE13 with a majority 1,207 votes from Taha Ahmad of PKR.
“I am not cowed by such claims and I will stay put in the constituency even if the Opposition nominates a heavyweight as their candidate,” he said.
Sazali, who is Melaka Housing, Environment and Local Government Committee deputy chairman, challenged his prospective rivals to publicly state that they have visited Chinese and Indian temples and had meals with their non-Muslims friends or greeted them during the festive seasons in Paya Rumput.
It was learnt that his challenger might be Melaka Pribumi deputy chief Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen.
Sazali said he treated his friends from all races as equals. As assemblyman, he made sure that attention was given to everyone in his constituency.
For example, he said 80 Chinese and 73 Indians were allocated affordable three-room houses in Krubong here. He added that more eligible people would be provided housing in the government’s housing scheme in Cheng, which costs RM97.5mil.