INCUMBENT Bandar Utama assemblyman Jamaliah Jamaluddin said Bandar Utama residents are quite understanding when it comes to the alliance between former rivals Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
The DAP lawmaker claimed that in contrast to her constituents, she had taken a longer time to accept the cooperation between the two coalitions.
“You can say that friends or enemies are not forever but one thing for sure is that you need to have standardised and consistent principles.
“And the principle we hold onto is how we can move the country towards becoming a better nation,” she was reported as saying by Malay Mail.
She continued by saying that the vast majority of her constituents are aware that joining forces with either BN or Perikatan Nasional (PN) was PH’s only option given the hung Parliament that ensued following the 15th General Election (GE15).
“At the end of the day, if it’s not PH and the unity government then it would have been PN,” she was reported as saying.
Locals are aware that a stable government would help in allowing the nation to recover from the pandemic, she added, which is why the timing of the GE15 coincides with the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions to push the country towards endemicity.
“The combination of PH and BN has come at a critical time for nation-building, adding that the unity government has this moment to work on large issues such as the economy, education and job opportunities.
“I’m very glad most of my residents actually understand the situation and what we are going through,” she added.
Jamaliah, however, remained mum about her MUDA opponent Abe Lim Hooi Sean, adding that she was unfazed by the competition that she will be facing in defending her seat.
“The important thing is to focus on yourself and whether I am doing a good job. No matter who the competitors are, we should always self-evaluate whether we are doing the best we can or not.
“My focus is on ensuring my team is doing its best solving issues brought up by constituents. Personally, I think that other things don’t really matter.
“Even if bigger fish were to declare their candidacy in Bandar Utama, I have faith in myself and my team after being on the ground for more than five years,” the DAP Selangor State Committee Member said.
Jamaliah, who will be defending her seat she won from the 2018 state elections, will be up against Lim and Gerakan’s Nur Aliff Mohd Tafid, who are both first-time candidates.
In the 2018 state elections, Jamaliah won 90.45% of the constituents’ votes with a whopping 38,561 majority, making her one of the youngest representatives to be elected into the Selangor State Assembly. – Aug 8, 2023
Main pic credit: Facebook/Jamaliah Jamaluddin
