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However, See’s friends who drive to Singapore during peak hours have complained about the limited number of open counters, causing massive traffic congestion. See hopes that the new MP will address this issue, as many Pulai residents travel to Singapore daily for work. As Pulai is just a half-hour drive away from Johor Baru, many individuals, like M. Manikam, a 29-year-old restaurant worker, choose to work in Singapore to earn enough money to support their families. Manikam, who has to leave home before 5.30am and misses out on weekends and special occasions, hopes that local employers will offer more competitive salaries to retain the workforce.
Nur Amalina Azman, a 31-year-old senior auditor, expressed concerns about stagnated wages in the country, making it difficult for people to cope with the high cost of living. She believes more attention should be given to attracting investors and companies to Johor to create more local job opportunities and prevent talent from migrating to neighboring countries. Nur Amalina also highlighted the need for increased public facilities for recreational and sports activities to address the pent-up stress faced by urban dwellers.
N. Kunasekaran, a 62-year-old voter who runs a non-governmental organization, has been advocating for a Tamil school in the Pulai constituency since 2018. Currently, parents have to spend around RM150 monthly on bus fare to send their children to Tamil schools in Jalan Yahya Awal, Taman Daya, and Taman Ungku Tun Aminah. Kunasekaran hopes the new MP will fight for a Tamil school to fulfill the community’s wishes.
Daud Ismail, a 41-year-old chicken trader, expressed his wish for stable prices for raw materials. He highlighted the instability of chicken prices between January and June, causing stress to traders. Daud mentioned that the high cost of chicken feed contributes significantly to the production cost, and stronger government policies are needed to tackle this issue. Chai Chee Keong, a 49-year-old factory machine operator, called for the expansion of the government-initiated “Rahmah” initiative to offer consumers more affordable food options, as the price of food has been on the rise.
Chai also suggested promoting Pulai to attract tourists and boost the local economy. He believes that showcasing the local culture and famous eateries in the area would appeal to tourists. The Pulai parliamentary constituency, which consists of Perling and Kempas state seats, has 166,653 registered voters, with Malays making up 44.18%, Chinese 40.46%, Indians 12.31%, and other ethnic groups 3.06%. Pulai includes Orang Asli communities in Kampung Orang Asli Bakar Batu Perling and Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Temon. The Pulai by-election was necessitated by the passing of Salahuddin, who was the Pulai MP, Simpang Jeram assemblyman, and Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister. The by-election will feature candidates from Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, and an Independent candidate.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
