PD by-election: Anwar pledges development for constituency

KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 1): Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (pictured) said he has “secured” a number of projects to uplift Port Dickson.

The PKR president said while speaking at a ceramah in Port Dickson that he plans to develop the area’s tourism while improving the lives of locals.

“We will have areas for ordinary folk to have picnics and holidays. It is inappropriate for Port Dickson to be a place for only the rich, The Star reported Anwar telling the ceramah.

“I told them that if they want to build a new five-star property, they have to fulfil a condition I set, which is to build medium to low-cost housing for the people here.

“Do you know how I managed to do that? Because I didn’t take money from them. Otherwise I’d have taken RM5 million and kept it.

“But instead, I told them I would discuss with the menteri besar how we could expedite the project (including a review of Port Dickson’s town planning) and ensure that it can be completed at a lower cost,” the news portal Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported Anwar saying at the same event.

The former deputy prime minister also revealed that an airline had “agreed to launch a special project in Port Dickson to make the constituency its base”, reported the news portal.

"The airline programme is one of three big projects I have thought up for the people of Port Dickson,” Straits Times reported Anwar saying.

Another development plan is a special education programme for students from Standard One to Form Five, reported the Singapore daily.

"People may think that I am making all these announcements just to get into Parliament.

"But as an incoming MP, I need to look after my constituents and ensure there are good economic opportunities which will, among others, stop the migration of young people," Anwar said, reported the Straits Times.

The by elections at Port Dickson will take place on Oct 13 after incumbent Port Dickson MP Datuk Danyal Balagopal Abdullah resigned from his post to allow Anwar to contest for the seat.

The Port Dickson by-election will see a seven-cornered slugfest involving Anwar, Lt Col (R) Mohd Nazari Mokhtar (PAS) and five independent candidates: former Negri Sembilan mentri besar Tan Sri Isa Samad, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, Stevie Chan Keng Leong, Lau Seck Yan and Kan Chee Yuen.