BY RAZAK AHMAD
Looking to the future: Omar (centre) posing with villagers during activities organised by government agencies to promote the by-election in Kampung Bukit Cermin. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
KUALA KANGSAR: Those campaigning on issues such as 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) or the Goods and Services Tax (GST) during the by-election here may get puzzled looks from orang asli voters.
The orang asli community, who make up 330 of the 32,949 voters here, live in several villages here.
To them, having streetlights and getting aid for homes are more pressing than the issues being played up by the Opposition.
Kampung Bukit Cermin resident Radun Ngah Shariff, 59, said he had heard about 1MDB, GST and hudud in the media but did not understand much about them.
When told that the hudud laws pursued by PAS would involve the amputation of limbs for certain criminal offences, Radun said: “Cannot. I’m afraid. Who knows if we say the wrong things, they may end up cutting off our hands?”
He would rather have the candidates talk about the rising prices of food and other essential items, which affect his community.
Village head Omar bin Pandak, 40, said Kampung Bukit Cermin was set up in 1973.
Omar said the villagers had been close to their late MP Datuk Wan Khai-ril Anuar Wan Ahmad, who had helped to bring paved roads, water and electricity into their area.
He said they wanted aid in building homes as many families still lived under the same roof.
“We will only vote for someone who can bring us development, not someone we will not see again after this election is over.”
