(From left) Candidates for Dusun Tua – Johan, Al Hafiz and Azhar.
In the aftermath of the 2021 floods in Hulu Langat, a 77-year-old woman whose house was swept away leaving only a staircase behind became temporarily famous for symbolising the plight of flood victims.
Luckily for Rohana Mahfodz, who became known as the “Staircase Model”, many came to her aid.
She now has a new house, built mostly with public donations, which stands beside the site of her old home in Kampung Jawa.
However, Kampung Melaka resident Firdaus Osman, 40, a delivery rider, wonders whether Rohana’s story will have a happy-ever-after ending.
Rohana in front of her new house, sited next to the pink staircase which is all that remains of her flood-ravaged home.
“Residents worry every time there is heavy rain. We want the future Dusun Tua assemblyman to solve the flood problem once and for all,” he said.
Voters are also expecting the assemblyman to tackle their rubbish woes.
Nor Akmal Nordin, 36, said this would require out-of-the box thinking especially when it came to village areas.
“Along the way to Pansun where the waterfalls are, you can see heaps of rubbish by the roadside.
“It is not as simple as getting KDEB Waste Management, a subsidiary of Menteri Besar Selangor Incorporated, to clean up the mess,” said Nor Akmal, who is the Mukim (sub-district) Cheras penghulu (chief).
Nor Akmal says the future assemblyman must be creative in resolving the rubbish issue.
“In villages where residents do not pay assessment taxes, rubbish collection is not done from house to house.
“Instead, villagers bring their waste to bins placed by the road. The bins are cleared daily and are only meant for residents, but outsiders take advantage by dumping their rubbish there,” he said.
Syahimi Unchut, 41, a Temuan living in Kampung Donglai Baru, an Orang Asli village, said no section of the Dusun Tua community should be left behind.
He said his village still lacked access to clean treated water and had to rely on mountain springs. The villagers also do not have WiFi connectivity.
Dusun Tua will see a three- cornered fight involving Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz, Muda candidate Al Hafiz Ikhwan and Azhar Hambali from Perikatan Nasional.
Having served as Semenyih assemblyman from 2008 until 2018, Johan said he was well aware of the plight of flood victims.
His tenure as assemblyman ended after he lost to Bersatu’s Bakhtiar Mohd Nor in the 2018 state elections.
After Bakhtiar’s death in 2019, the seat was won by Barisan’s Zakaria Hanafi.
Syahimi says his village needs access to clean water and WiFi
However, Johan’s role as Hulu Langat Umno chief includes his overseeing of Semenyih and Dusun Tua.
Though he had no position in the Selangor government, Johan said he helped provide food and equipment to flood victims.
If given the mandate, Johan said he would ensure the Sungai Langat flood mitigation project was implemented. The project was delayed following the discovery that approval was given without the tender process.
Architect Al Hafiz said a temporary solution was to ease any bottlenecks along waterways.
He also hoped to introduce renewable energy to the villages.
Azhar, who has a degree in electrical engineering, said his plans included a micro hydro dam which could generate power for 40 houses.
Dusun Tua with some 50,000 voters and Semenyih with its 40,000 voters fall under the Hulu Langat parliamentary constituency.
In the 2018 state elections, DAP’s Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof contesting under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat banner won Dusun Tua with 22,325 votes.
