Johor Polls: Kota Iskandar Assemblyman Acts As A Bridge For The People

JOHOR BAHRU, July 1 (Bernama) -- The principle of being a "bridge to the people's concerns" has been the guiding principle of incumbent Kota Iskandar state assemblyman Datuk Pandak Ahmad in carrying out his mandate as a representative of the people with an approach of listening, understanding and solving the problems of the residents.

Pandak, who is also the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the seat in the Johor state election said that this guiding principle has motivated him to continue the various initiatives implemented throughout the last term, with priority given to resolving issues across all levels of society.

"When we hold on to that principle, we are holding a trust. Elders always remember, so that when we die, we don't have to be asked about the trust we hold," he said in an interview with Bernama.

Among the achievements he described as major successes are the construction of 12,000 units of affordable housing under the Johor People's Housing Programme which opens up opportunities for the middle-income group to own their own homes, in addition to the construction of a new mosque in Pulai Emas and the establishment of the Tunku Mohkota Ismail Youth Centre (TMIYC).

He said efforts to improve the administrative system with the Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP) have also enabled the licensing process for small traders to be expedited, with applications now being approved within a day.

“We have also managed to recover nine acres (3.64 hectares) of land that was previously owned by the private sector to be developed as a commercial fishing hub. It will be developed in a more orderly manner, including the relocation of traders’ stalls,” he said.

Pandak said the transformation of Kampung Sungai Melayu from a traditional fishing village over 160 years old to a new tourist destination has had a great impact on the local community.

He said infrastructure development worth almost RM22 million had transformed the village to emerge as one of the main tourism products under MBIP, which is now receiving more than 100,000 visitors in conjunction with Visit Johor Year 2026.

Asked about issues that still needed attention, Pandak said traffic congestion due to the rapid development of housing areas, especially on the route from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to Pulai Indah and Gelang Patah to Kampung Ulu Pulai was among the main complaints of the residents.

According to him, several traffic dispersal measures had been and are being planned, including upgrading traffic lights to a smart system, the construction of two new flyovers and an elevated interchange connecting the area to Taman Sri Pulai and Taman Teratai.

Regarding future plans if given the mandate again, Pandak said that the education aspect would continue to be given priority in addition to realising the construction of about 300 housing units in Gelang Patah town and more than 800 units in Taman Damai, Pulau Hijauan with prices below RM300,000 per unit.

He also saw the potential to make Pendas a new tourism destination in Kota Iskandar taking into account the strength of the fishing sector involving the local population, by adapting the development approach implemented in Kampung Sungai Melayu.

“In Sungai Melayu, we are developing the ecotourism sector by providing boat services to bring visitors to enjoy the beauty of the area, while in Pendas the fish catch is more and the fishing community is larger, so we see the potential to combine fishing and ecotourism activities to increase the income of the residents,” he said.

In the Johor polls campaign this time, Pandak said the face-to-face approach remains a priority, but at the same time he is also taking advantage of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Threads to reach out to young voters who represent more than 131,000 voters in Kota Iskandar, one of the largest in Johor.

The Kota Iskandar state constituency, which has 132,579 registered voters, is witnessing a four-cornered contest involving Pandak, Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Dzulkefly Ahmad, S. Anna Pravina from Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Sahrudin Omar representing Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama).

Johor state election polling day is on July 11, while the early voting is on July 7.

For the latest news on the 16th Johor state election, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor/.

-- BERNAMA

N49: KOTA ISKANDAR - 132,579 voters

1. S. Anna Pravina (PN-MIPP)

2. Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Amanah)

3. Datuk Pandak Ahmad (BN-UMNO)

4. Sahrudin Omar (Bersama)

(2022: Datuk Pandak Ahmad: BN-UMNO: Maj: 4,360)