RAUB: This former gold-mining town has grown by leaps and bounds and transformed into a popular place known for its exquisite Musang King durian, says Tan Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen.
Having served as the Raub MP for three terms from November 1999 to May 2013, she said she was happy to see the lives of locals here having improved.
It was a walk down memory lane for Dr Ng, who recently stepped onto Raub soil again after almost a decade.
Besides meeting old friends, the former MCA vice-president made it a point to show up and lend support to her party colleagues involved in GE15 campaigning.
“I come back as a good friend of Raub. I served Raub for 15 years, and Raub forever holds a place in my heart.
“I’m also here as a friend in support of (Chong) Sin Woon and (Lim) Teck Hoe,” she said after meeting the two candidates at the Guan Yin Temple on Jalan Tras here on Saturday evening.
“The durian trees have grown so much compared with when I left. I also see many young people are successful in durian farming.
“Now, who doesn’t know Musang King? My son bought one whole Musang King fruit in Hong Kong for HK$888 (RM537). This is how good our durians are.
“This reminds me of a time in 2009 when I attended a food expo in China, and brought durian with me, which was not allowed back then,” she added.
With Malaysian durians gaining worldwide popularity in recent years, Dr Ng said all this came from the sweat and toil of Raub folk.
During a meet-and-greet with the people in Tras, she called on them to support candidates from “a party with the heart to serve and go to the ground.”
“Let’s focus on the issues that concern us locally first.
“It’s important to ensure we are good and sufficient on our own before thinking about other things.
“This is a fight for the people in Raub, not for candidates or parties,” she added.
While noting that more local development is needed, she pointed out that Raub also has other issues, such as land matters that need to be resolved.
Reiterating the importance of having the right people to facilitate problem-solving, she lauded the fielding of Chong and Lim, who are contesting the Raub parliamentary and Tras state seats, respectively.
While the Pahang Mentri Besar’s aide, Fadzli Mohamad Kamal, is contesting the Dong state seat under the Raub parliamentary constituency, Dr Ng said a victory for him would also benefit Raub.
“I believe Fadzli will win, and he’s going to be influential.
“He also realises the issues in Raub, so when they (Fadzli and Lim) win, they can cooperate seamlessly to make Raub better,” she added.
Commending Lim’s personality and capabilities, she said it would be a great loss if the Tras Chinese new village head is not elected to serve.
As for Chong, Dr Ng said: “Being the MCA secretary-general, a powerful position in the party, his winning in Raub will certainly see him bringing the people’s voices to the federal level.”
Meanwhile, Chong said his campaigning would focus on meeting as many voters as possible while visiting the polling stations of various Chinese and Malay villages over the next few days.
“I will fight against time and cover the places that I have not visited or covered in recent years,” he said.