Che Timah Bakar, 72, waited till the family day event ended before she approached Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to present him with a gift – a food cover decorated with ribbons and lace.

The Transport Minister and incumbent Bentong MP, who was surprised by the personal touch, playfully wore it as a hat, drawing laughter from the villagers of Felda Kampung Sertik here.

A spirited Che Timah had nothing but praises for Liow. “Dia sangat bagus (He is very good). I do not wish to see another representative as our MP,” she said.

Liow spent yesterday morning with the residents at the Felda settlement here in a lively “Santai Sertik” event, where activities like futsal, health check and games brought villagers together for some weekend fun.

In his speech, he announced RM500,000 for a road upgrade project in Kampung Sertik.

Nurhazlinda Abdullah, 25, who grew up here, was happy with the news.

“The main road into the settlement is riddled with potholes. It is patched up here and there. It will be good to have the road totally repaired,” she said.

The mother of two added that residents of Felda settlement were also hoping for a new housing scheme as most of them have several families living under one roof.

Liow took the opportunity to brief the villagers on Felda 2.0 ­initiative, which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in nearby Felda Lurah Bilut in February.

“It will transform Felda settlements, not only through improving infrastructure but also diversifying the economy for the benefit of the locals. There will also be a youth centre and broadband service for the younger generation to participate in the eRezeki and eUsahawan programmes,” he said.

Later, when attending the annual general meeting of West Pahang Eco-Tourism and Leisure Farm Association, Liow told reporters that the Barisan Nasional manifesto focussed on riding the e-commerce wave to boost the country’s economic growth.

“In Bentong, for instance, broadband speed in rural areas is still slow.

“Once upgraded, youths can participate in e-commerce and make use of the opportunities made available by the Digital Free Trade Zone.”

Liow also urged the management of public transportation companies to offer lower fares to allow more voters to return home to vote.

“We encourage Malaysians to return home and cast their votes. This is our responsibility as citizens,” he said.

He commended airlines such as AirAsia and Malaysia Airlines for offering lower fares and flight change fee waiver in light of the general election.

“Trains and other public transportation can come onboard as well so that the general election can be carried out smoothly,” he said.

Source:
courtesy of THE STAR

by Tho Xin Yi

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