Sungai Petani BN parliamentary candidate pledges to 'always be there'
ALOR SETAR, April 24 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional´s Sungai Petani parliamentary candidate Datuk Shahanim Mohamad Yusoff, 45, has pledged to serve the constituents faithfully if they give the seat to her in the 14th general election (GE14) on May 9.
Shahanim, who is also a senator is the sole woman picked by BN to stand in a parliamentary constituency in Kedah. Four other women have been nominated by BN to contest in the state constituencies of Pedu, Sungai Tiang, Sungai Limau and Bandar Baharu.
The Sungai Petani native did not wish to see the people in the area being continuously ignored and not getting assistance particularly during a disaster.
"The opposition (PKR) held Sungai Petani for 10 years and only come once in five years ... they just take the position (elected representative), make promises and then go back and stay put in Kuala Lumpur. They are not concerned about the hardships faced by the people during floods and storms.
"When the incidents happened, who were there to help them" I was. BN rendered the best aid it could and was always ready to help the people in time of need," she told Bernama when met at Dewan Seri Mentaloon today after the announcement by BN of its candidates for GE14 here.
Shahanim who holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA-Hons) from Universiti Utara Malaysia had previously served as a Maybank officer and received the 'Best Financial Executive for Maybank Finance in Malaysia' award in 2001 before being promoted to Business Development Executive.
She joined politics in 2004 and was once Puteri UMNO Malaysia vice chief.
She admits that she is slightly nervous about the responsibility and high expectations of her to wrest the seat considered hostile to BN.
"I urge the people in Sungai Petani not to deprive themselves any longer; they need many infrastructures that the previous representative had failed to provide. "What I can promise if elected is, I will in good and bad times be with the people; I will be their assistant in all situations, " she said.
Shahanim also hoped the women who made up 50 per cent of the voters in the area, would give her the confidence to enhance their wellbeing.
In GE13, the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat was won by Johari Bin Abdul (PKR) with a 9,548-vote majority. He defeated Syamsyul Anuar Che Mey@ Ismail (BN). Ali Yahaya (BN) defeated Abdullah Jusoh (PAS) with a majority of 1,707 votes for the Pantai Merdeka state seat.
For the Bakar Arang state seat, Dr. Lee Yean Wang (BN) lost to Ooi Tze Min (PKR) by 6,534 votes, while Bee Sieong Heng (BN) lost to Robert Ling Kui Ee (PKR) by 5,964 votes for Sidam state seat.
-- BERNAMA
