Perak MCA chairman Ong Ka Chuan gave a funny reason why he wants to contest the Batu Gajah Parlimentary seat currently held by DAP. According to him, he wants to bring more development to the Kinta Valley area.

Don't fool us, Mr Ong. The Ipoh Timor and Ipoh Barat seats have been under BN rule for two terms. Nothing has changed except that the city has become dirtier and dirtier.

With the lack of attention and assistance provided by the federal government, Ipoh city and the state of Perak, once the richest in the country, is going to lag behind. Even Kedah which is far less developed than Perak has its own Vision 2010. What has happened to Perak and the Kinta Valley?

Since the BN won handsomely in 1995, the state government has become ignorant of the needs of the people. Remember that Ipoh was accorded city status in 1988 when the DAP was strong in the city? Many goodies were given to the city such as providing an efficient rubbish collection system that has made the city the cleanest in the country.

Well, surely what the Kinta Valley needs is a strong opposition and not another set of empty promises made by MCA or the BN. If Ong and MCA really intended to develop the Kinta Valley area, they could have done so nine years ago when they wrested the Ipoh Timor and Barat seats from DAP.

Ipoh, Kinta Valley and the state of Perak have not changed for 20 years. They will not change in the next 20 years if we continue to be swayed by the MCA's empty promises. Let's give our votes to the DAP. If the opposition party wins the Kinta Valley seats, then probably the state and federal government will work harder to fulfil the wishes of the Kinta Valley community.