Victory comes with commitment
The Ayer Hitam seat has seen many changes for the benefit of its residents, especially the youth.
IT may be just a set of new uniforms but it means a lot to many parents.
Earning RM1,000 a month, Zara Othman, 42, who received new uniforms for her daughter from Johor Youth Council said the money saved would be set aside for emergency use.
The Ayer Hitam resident said their MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong is always there to help them.
Nothing is too small to escape his attention.
His “people first approach” has also endeared him to his constituents since he won the seat in the 2004 General Election.
At the event to hand over the school aid, Dr Wee reassured the people that the Government would continue to assist the lower- and middle-income groups in the wake of a challenging economy.
But it is definitely not just about handing out aid.
It is also about bringing job and business opportunities to the people, especially the younger generation.
One good example is the six-year plan called Plan 123 to transform Yong Peng, a state seat under Ayer Hitam, into a tourist destination.
Yong Peng recorded 250,000 tourist arrivals last year and the number is set to go up to 300,000 this year.
It may be a small place but Yong Peng is a vibrant and happening place.
It is home to a 107m-long man-made prosperity dragon – a popular tourist attraction – and the longest in South-East Asia.
Yong Peng also boasts a 21m-tall Ji Gong statue – the tallest in South-East Asia.
The town’s famous fishballs are also drawing in tourists all day along.
Dr Wee saw the need for re-invention for this predominantly agricultural community.
Better education opportunities have to be complemented by job and business opportunities for the young.
For now, some 90% of the youth from Yong Peng have to work in cities like Singapore, Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur.
Dr Wee has put in place a three-year plan (2019-2021) to transform the economy in Yong Peng so that more youth would remain.
“We aim to get 30% of the youth to stay and work or do business in Yong Peng by 2021, up from the present 10%,” said Ling Tian Soon, 33.
Also, the Ayer Hitam MCA chairman, Ling, who has been serving in the constituency for seven years, will be contesting the Yong Peng state seat this general election.
While the lure of the city lights and foreign exchange saw many youths heading to work in Singapore, about a two-hour drive away, Ling said many would prefer to settle down in Yong Peng in the long run.
About 18km away from Yong Peng is the Ayer Hitam town which is known as a ceramic town.
It has its fair share of tourism potential nearby including the UK Farm Agro Resort.
The Ayer Hitam new village which is famed for its traditional delicacies like heong peah is also a pit-stop for food.
Change and reinvention in any place does not happen by accident.
It is about planning and the commitment to bring out the best in the place and the people; for the people.
Ayer Hitam has come a long way in the last decade.
In 2008, the folk heaved a big sigh of relief after a two-decade water problem about dirty supply got resolved.
The Government spent RM152mil to resolve the problem – a Barisan Nasional general election pledge made in 2004 – when Dr Wee contested in Ayer Hitam for the first time.
Last year, the much awaited RM17mil Klinik Kesihatan in Yong Peng started its operations, benefiting the folk in Ayer Hitam and nearby areas.