Dr Mahathir only wants self-satisfaction by contesting in Langkawi
By Hamdan Ismail
LANGKAWI, April 20 (Bernama) -- Although development in Langkawi is often attributed to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the island's development is actually more due to the success of the Barisan Nasional (BN) as a whole.
Therefore, when Dr Mahathir was announced as the Pakatan Harapan candidate for the constituency in the 14th General Election (GE14), many people were of the opinion that the Pakatan Harapan chairman was trying to take credit for developing Langkawi himself, rather than to lift the status of the locals.
Langkawi Tourism Association (LTA) chief executive officer Zainudin Kadir said this was evident from the living standards of the local population as opposed to those who moved in from other places.
"The development in Langkawi is indeed, of (high) class, but the (local) community does not get anything. Most of them do not get any big opportunity...they are just taxi drivers, (tour) boat operators and petty traders," he told Bernama.
According to him, the upper class society and property developers from outside have reaped huge business opportunities in Langkawi, beginning from the late 1980s, while the majority of locals only received small chunks of the economic pie.
According to Zainudin, the exclusive development method preferred by Dr Mahathir was in stark contrast to the inclusive approach adopted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak since 2009.
He said among the initial steps taken by Najib to continue development in Langkawi was to introduce the Langkawi Development Blueprint in 2010, which also emphasised development for its community, involving a RM450 million allocation by the Federal Government through the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA).
"I think the younger generation who are cheerfully supporting him (Dr Mahathir) now were not even born yet when I went through the hardship of being in the tourism industry. They do not know that Tun (Dr) Mahathir did not help (me). He only helped the rich people who could help him," he noted.
Meanwhile, Langkawi Taxi Owners and Drivers Association president Ramli Ahmad said he considered Dr Mahathir's move to run as opposition candidate in GE14, as inappropriate.
He said age was not on the side of the 93-year-old former prime minister, and the people of Langkawi would be taking a risk by choosing him.
"I am not interested in candidates who are contesting with the sole intention of seeking revenge and bringing down certain leaders. If you lose, you take revenge...what's the use? We should just be content," he added.
-- BERNAMA
