By JADE CHAN
Photo by ROHAIZAT MD DARUS
Dream
unrealised : Razaly had to shelve his plans to pursue a degree in
Islamic Studies in Yemen or Jordan after winning the Dusun Tua state
seat in the recent general election.
Razaly Hassan’s plan to further
his education had to be shelved after he was elected as assemblyman in
the 13th general election. He had earlier served as a councillor for
about five years.
“I wanted to pursue a degree in Islamic Studies
in Yemen or Jordan after I retired,” said the 61-year-old who worked as
an executive in a publication company before retiring in 2007.
“In fact, I was initially asked
to contest for the Dusun Tua state seat in the 12th general election in 2008. I declined as I wanted to further my education.
“I was very involved in PAS party work, and after Pakatan Rakyat formed
the state government in Selangor, I was appointed as a Kajang municipal
councillor.
“I did not want to be seen as shirking
responsibilities, so I complied with the party directive to contest in
GE13,” said the Hulu Langat PAS president.
Razaly, who was born
and raised in Hulu Langat, continues to reside in Kampung Batu 10 with
his wife, who recently retired from her job as an accounts clerk.
He completed schooling in Kajang, then went on to complete STPM in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, as a part-time student.
Razaly, won the Dusun Tua seat with a majority of 4,071 votes.
The Dusun Tua constituency
has 46,087 registered voters, 63% Malay and 37% non-Malay.
It has a mix of urban and rural settlements, with an estimated 40:60 ratio based on land size (40% urban, 60% rural).
Razaly said one of his biggest challenges was to balance between development and quality of life of the constituents.
“However, in the course of progress and development, certain sacrifices have to be made.
“For example, there is a need for infrastructure upgrades and new road links.
“Dusun Tua is usually congested during weekends and public holidays as
it is famous for its picnic and recreation spots in Sungai Gabai, Sungai
Congkak and Lubuk Manggis.
“The problem is that these main roads come under the Federal Government.
“It was announced in Parliament that it would cost RM240mil to acquire
land and upgrade the stretch between Batu 9 to Pekan Batu 11.
“It is definitely difficult to implement this project in the immediate future.”
Another concern is that parts of the constituency, like Sungai Serai are flood-prone.
However, Razaly said the issue was in the process of being resolved by the relevant state agencies.
“Dusun Tua has potential in terms of tourist attractions. The state
government has identified these attractions, like homestays, hiking and
camping spots, and natural hot springs, and has plans to develop and
promote them.
“The constituency is also well-known for its orchards and local fruits like durian, mangosteen and langsat,” he said.
Razaly’s service centre is located at No 30-1, Tingkat 1, Jalan Lagenda Suria 3, Taman Lagenda Suria, Hulu Langat,