Resident Lim Chung Leong (right), 57, telling Saw about the flash flood that hit Kampung Naran in Batu Maung, Penang. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
SAW Yee Fung may be a new face in George Town’s political scene but the 33-year-old actuary is certainly no political novice.
She was the private secretary to former deputy Women, Family and Community Development minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun, and took on several posts in Pahang MCA before being appointed the party spokesperson.
Saw plans to focus on issues during the campaigning period and refrain from negative campaigning.
“I was born in Penang but studied, worked and did community work elsewhere.
“I am honoured to serve the people of Bayan Baru if elected, now that the party leadership has decided that I should stand as a candidate in my hometown,” said the Bayan Baru MCA coordinator, who was the first potential election candidate to launch her general election machinery in Penang.
For the past few days, Saw had been on the ground listening and helping residents of Batu Maung who were hit by flash floods recently.
“Listening to the people is the best way to understand how things work,” Saw said after visiting one of the affected houses in Batu Maung.
She said in a statement that flood victims had alerted her of earthworks causing blockage in a 6m-wide storm drain, leaving only a 1m-wide outlet for water to flow into the nearby river.
She said that could be the main cause of the flash floods and that it was baffling a screw pump costing RM15.74mil had to be operated manually.
“I am no engineer, but it is not that difficult to understand something is wrong with the state government’s flood mitigation project planning,” she added.
Saw said the recurring floods in the area had been going on for more than two decades and getting to the root of the issue was key to resolving the problem.
“That doesn’t mean I am only concentrating on the macro level because I did a lot of work on the ‘Bayan Baru Transformation Plan’, which I plan to launch after nomination day.”
She said the plan would focus on four key areas, which were floods, traffic woes, housing and community, and economic transformation.
“A lot of thought has gone into the transformation plan and if elected, I will ensure a team is created to implement the plans effectively with a key performance index,” she said.
Regarding the election period, Saw, who was actively involved in political issues during her university days, said she would focus on issues instead of negative campaigning.
