Isa Samad may be BN's choice for Bagan Pinang because he is a ‘local boy’, but his PAS opponent Zulkefly Mohd Omar has claimed that the ‘local boy’ has ignored his own backyard.

He said that, as Teluk Kemang Umno division chief (which oversees Bagan Pinang), Isa should have been taking local problems to the proper authorities for solutions.

dap mooncake festival 031009 zulkefly “Instead, I, as the PAS state chief, have been constantly raising issues in this area,” said Zulkefly (wearing songkok) , who is involved in a straight fight with Isa in the Bagan Pinang by-election on Sunday.

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This resort town has been plagued by frequent flash floods, irrigation problems, pollution, licensing issues in petty trade, and poor infrastructure.

“But what has the Teluk Kemang (Umno) division done? Only now, before the by-election, are they fixing the roads,” said Zulkefly, a 45-year-old businessman-cum-politician.

He dismissed BN’s campaign to highlight Isa’s roots and stressed that voters should evaluate the track record of both candidates.

broga incinerator court case 060707 victorious Zulkefly’s main claim to fame was to have chaired the Broga No-incinerator Committee, which waged a successful six-year campaign against the government's plan to build a ‘mega-incinerator’ in the village of Broga, Selangor - a stone’s throw from the Negri Sembilan border.

Coupled with many other community projects in which he has been involved over the years, Zulkefly said he strongly believes he has what it takes to represent Bagan Pinang voters.

“I was born and raised in Negri Sembilan and I’m still residing here... If we want to look at who is more local, (just consider that) my opponent was born in Sungai Udang, Malacca,” he said.

Umno and its allies have been constantly reminding voters that Isa was raised in the area and that he wants to return to active politics to serve the constituency.

isa samad Opposition parties regard this as an attempt to deflect attention from Isa’s suspension from the Umno after he was found guilty of vote-buying during the 2004 party polls.

The soft-spoken Zulkefly refused to be drawn to comment on Isa’s tainted past, adding that this is a personal matter.

PAS strikes back

However, feeling the heat over recent BN attacks on Zulkefly, PAS elections director Salahuddin Ayub yesterday warned Umno to lay off or face a series of exposes on abandoned government projects commissioned during Isa’s 22-year tenure as Negri Sembilan menteri besar.

salahuddin ayub and pas Salahuddin delivered a pre-emptive strike by showing reporters some photographs of the main road linking Pasir Panjang to Linggi which has allegedly been under repair since Isa left office in 2004.

“You can place your own KPI (key performance index) on the soon-to-be Negri Sembilan menteri besar, that is, if he wins,” said Salahuddin, in a thinly-veiled suggestion that Isa is planning to depose incumbent Mohamad Hassan.

Salahuddin also defended Zulkefly’s candidacy, stressing that the latter is free of corruption, is trustworthy, and has extensive experience in community service.