Campaign trail
By T. SELVA

ONG Chong Swen, the Barisan Nasional candidate for Subang Jaya state seat, arrived 10 minutes early for our tea meeting at 5pm at the Chatters Cafe and Restaurant in USJ 11, Subang Jaya.
I was impressed and told her that she was the first candidate among those I had interviewed to arrive ahead of time.

Ong: ‘I have a positive mind and age is not a factor to me’

The 57-year-old mother of three looked fresh although she said she had been on her feet during her campaign trail visiting business and eating outlets.
Her hair was in place and she looked radiant.
She had driven herself to the restaurant ordered fresh lime juice to soothe her throat, which she said felt sore due to all the talking lately.
“I attribute my high energy level, spirit and clear complexion to the nutrients I take daily.
“Besides this, I have a positive mind and age is not a factor to me,” said the Amway diamond distributor who is contesting for the first time in the general election.
The former secondary school teacher and University Malaya graduate is involved in a straight fight with DAP’s Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan, a newcomer.
I told her that I was taking a personal interest in her because I live in Subang Jaya and am also a voter in the constituency.
Ong beamed with happiness when she heard that I was one of the 44,569 electorates in her constituency, which was won uncontested by three-term incumbent Datuk Lee Hwa Beng.
Lee is now contesting for the Kelana Jaya parliamentary seat.
Ong immediately gave me her manifesto and biodata pamphlet titled You and Me Towards Excellence. It had a colour photograph of her family printed on it besides newspaper cuttings on her past activities.

The Kelana Jaya Wanita MCA chief leaned back in her seat and folded her arms when asked how she felt about contesting against a 29-year-old candidate, who is a lawyer and resident of Subang Jaya.
“Hannah is young and just got married and has a long way to go.
“You need wisdom, maturity and capability to serve this urban community,” Ong said, adding that she was one of the first residents to reside in SS15 in Subang Jaya, in 1976.
At the time she said nobody wanted to buy houses in the area because the housing scheme did not have adequate facilities but that currently people wanted to live in the area.
“I have seen every brick being placed to build this township over the past three decades and all my children were born and raised here.
“Now I have over 100 extended family members and relatives staying here and this is my kampung now,” said Ong who was born in Kota Baru.
There are zero squatters in the constituency, which stretches from Subang Jaya to USJ to Sunway Pyramid and part of Batu Tiga. Subang Jaya is dubbed as the most IT savvy area in the country.
“I have just set up my website to communicate with the people here more effectively.
“My incumbent (Lee Hwa Beng) has set very high standards in serving the people here and I will work very hard to continue his legacy and reach out to the people,” said Ong who is married to a housing developer.
The Subang Jaya electorate is made up of Chinese (56.4%), Malays (32.0%) and Indians (9.8%). Among the pressing issues in the constituency are traffic congestion and security.
Currently, the Subang Jaya Municipal Council has installed 90 CCTVs at hot spots for safety.
“Top on my list is seeking ways to improve traffic flow woes. It is not going to be easy but I am determined to tackle it because it affects all of us,'' she said.
Both Ong and Yeoh are also using their network of family and friends to vote them in.
Yeoh, a former student of SMK Subang Utama, said her in-laws are Indians and she was determined to stand up for multiculturalism and racial harmony.
Ong on the other hand, has an edge over Yeoh because the constituency is a Barisan stronghold.

This story was reproduced from:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/2/27/central/20452149&sec=central