Ah Soon, the 'foochow' BN candidate wants to preserve Yong Peng's heritage
By Suhainie Mohd Khalid
BATU PAHAT, May 7 (Bernama) -- Yong Peng, a quaint town here is aptly dubbed 'Little Fuzhou' with a good reason - most of its residents are from the Chinese community who can trace their roots and heritage to Fuzhou in China.
It is said that the Foochows, as they are better known, living at SItiawan in Perak and Sibu in Sarawak are also industrious, humble and clannish.
The 14th General Election (GE14) will witness a Foochow, Ling Tian Soon, 34, contesting the Yong Peng state seat in the hopes of working towards developing the constituency as his service to the multiracial community there.
Fondly known as 'Ah Soon', Ling said he was actively carrying out community activities for the past eight years in Yong Peng, having been given the opportunity to serve as assistant and special officer to the incumbent for the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
"Even though I come from Tongkang Pechah, Batu Pahat, the issue of me as a ?parachute? candidate or ?outsider' does not arise because I live in Yong Peng for the past eight years and also of Foochow descent," he told Bernama here.
Within the eight years, Ling was confident many residents would have been acquainted with him as he had joined the Ayer Hitam BN team to visit every corner of Yong Peng, which comprised 13 polling district centres (PDM), four new Chinese villages and 30 villages in the constituency.
Elected as Ayer Hitam MCA Division chairman in 2013 at the age of 23, making him the youngest MCA divisional chairman in the country, Ling said many issues were resolved by the government in Yong Peng and various agendas in the pipeline if the people placed their trust in him in GE14.
Among issues that have been resolved are the construction of new health clinic in Yong Peng, costing RM18.7 million, to replace the 40-year-old clinic; flash flood mitigation in Taman Jelita via upgrading of drainage system, at a cost of RM6.4 million; and river cleaning works along the Jalan Yong Peng-Paloh.
Ling's tireless efforts to promote local tourist attractions and food on social media has also bear fruits with about 300,000 domestic and foreign tourists recorded visiting Yong Peng last year.
Aside from Foochow cuisine such as ?Eng Hin' biscuit and ?Hock Chew' noodles, Yong Peng's other attractions include the world's longest dragon tunnel; Yong Peng Street, which serves food and handicraft sales; Wansern Agrotech, which offers bird's nest products and the Black Dragon Caves.
Recognising the interests of the youth, Ling, who is also the Johor Youth Council vice chairman, pledged to mobilise the young people in various community and voluntary activities to benefit the people such as the flood victims aid Ops.
The 2014 Johor Youth Award recipient and father of one said his involvement in youth associations since aged 15, has opened his mind to become a person who liked to mix and serve the people.
And having worked hard in Yong Peng, he leaves it to the 24,903 voters to give him the opportunity to bring further progress to the constituency by giving him the mandate on May 9.
"I was chosen by the party leadership to stand in Yong Peng state seat, joining my boss, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who is contesting in Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat. Let us together build Yong Peng," said Ling who is involved in a three-cornered fight with Chew Peck Choo of PKR-DAP and Muhammad Abdullah of PAS.
-- BERNAMA
