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Thursday, October 31, 2013

Sg Limau by-election: Sungai Limau folk not hot and bothered over inflation and GST


Published: Wednesday October 30, 2013 MYT 12:00:00 AM 
Updated: Wednesday October 30, 2013 MYT 11:07:07 AM
Out in the field: Dr Ahmad Sohaimi (right) chatting with two
farmers during his visit to Kampung Titi Batu in Kedah. — Bernama
YAN: City folk’s constant worry is about stretching the ringgit, but the people of Sungai Limau are unperturbed – they find it still easy on their wallet to enjoy the town’s delicacies such as nasi lemak, teh tarik or laksa.

On the campaign trail, however, opposition politicians blast away about rising prices of fuel and sugar and how the Goods and Services Tax (GST), to be enforced in two years, will eat into the people’s savings.

Jerai PAS secretary Muzaini Azizan said the increase in sugar price would certainly affect Sungai Limau folk.

“People will soon feel it when the price of drinks and food goes up,” he said.

Kedah PAS commissioner Datuk Mahfuz Omar said the Barisan Nasional policies on fuel and GST would promote hunger.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, in a caustic attack on the government at a ceramah in Sedaka, said: “They claim they are reducing sugar subsidy to avoidkencing manis (diabetes), but they kencing (urinate on the) rakyat.”

Voters who will be casting their ballot papers in the Nov 4 by-election here are quite familiar with the rhetoric but the issues have yet to seep into their laidback lifestyle.

Meanwhile, visitors and campaigners from both camps, whatever they say against each other, find the warongs in the villages that dot this small state constituency a delight to their palates and comfortable on their pockets.

A packet of nasi lemak, with a generous serving of fried ikan bilis and sambal, costs 60 sen, a noodle dish of fresh ingredients costs RM2 a plate or a bowl, while teh susu costs RM1.20 a glass.

And with RM1, one can buy seven pieces of fried keledek (sweet potatoes).

A bowl of laksa from Mak Andak’s stall in Sungai Besar, reputedly the best in town, costs just RM2.

The rice noodles are prepared fresh using a traditional method, and the thick broth for the laksa dish is made with freshly caught fish.

Another popular laksa warong is at Kampung Dulang Besar.

There is also mee hoon soup Kampung Belida Siam in Setia Jaya and gulai ikan semilang Kampung Bahagia in Sungai Dedap.

PAS is defending the seat through its representative Mohd Azam Abdul Samat, an Al-Azhar University gra­duate.

His Barisan challenger is former lecturer Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim.

The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent and former mentri besar Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak on Sept 26.

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