Amanah’s Chinese candidate says local issues come first in Permas

PERMAS: The dinner crowd at a Chinese corner coffee shop in Masai was packed with voters eager to hear Sharon Teo of Amanah, the party’s second Chinese candidate since its formation following a split from PAS.

Dressed in a red baju kurung, Teo received loud applause as she made her way through the coffee shop, greeting diners before taking the stage.

The 37-year-old is contesting the Malay-majority Permas seat, where about 47% of voters are non-Malays. She is taking on Barisan Nasional’s Baharudin Taib, who is seeking re-election, Perikatan Nasional’s T Vela and Bersama’s Dr Zamil Najwah Arbain.

“Permas is a mixed seat. I know the issues here. The biggest concerns are infrastructure, traffic congestion and potholes that have yet to be resolved,” said Teo, a former aide to the late Salahuddin Ayub, founding deputy president of Amanah.

“When I visited Masai, many residents complained that damaged roads were only being patched, not properly repaired. Voters want to see improvement,” she told reporters.

Among those in the crowd was a man who wanted to be known only as Sivaraj, who said he would vote for Teo. “I am happy with Pakatan Harapan. But I will wait to hear what she has to say during campaigning,” he said, adding that he has started following Teo on Facebook.

Another voter, a 58-year-old housewife who only wanted to be known as Lee, said her family would also support PH. “We have no problem with Amanah. She already has my support, but we want to know what she will do if voted in,” she said.

Amanah’s first Chinese candidate was Tan Seng Toh, who contested in the Ayer Kuning state seat in Perak in 2018.