By Arnaz M. Khairul
During his two terms as Ayer Keroh assemblyman, he had often been suspended from state assembly meetings for persistently raising questions about corruption and other issues.
He is now contesting a parliamentary seat, the DAP stronghold of Kota Melaka.
Last night, he drew a bumper crowd of 8,000 at the “Ceramah Kebangkitan Rakyat”, where he said long-standing unresolved issues had been covered up by the Barisan Nasional state government.
He said he would seek to make the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission more independent and to be given more power.
Khoo gave the example of a corruption case against a former special aide to the mayor about which he had raised questions at the state assembly.
The aide was charged in May last year with criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving over RM19 million, but Khoo said the case had “become cold”.
“People want answers. If we can’t get the answers in the state assembly, then what is the use of us being state assembly members?” he said.
Khoo said that if elected MP, he would continue to raise questions in Parliament, on such matters as the reclamation work for the Melaka Gateway port project and another six ports in Malacca, which had affected many people, from fishermen to landowners.
“But the answers we get are very vague and they expect people to just swallow whatever they say,” said Khoo.
Such issues should be raised in Parliament as many of these projects were related to the federal government.
Khoo, who is DAP state secretary, said Malacca Chief Minister Idris Haron had simply laughed off the challenge posed by Pakatan Harapan candidate Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, who is tipped to be the chief minister should PH win the state.
Shamsul, a PKR vice-president, is defending the now renamed Hang Tuah Jaya constituency, where he had defeated then chief minister Ali Rustam in 2013. He is also contesting the Rim state seat.
Khoo said he was sure Shamsul would emerge victorious in both seats.
Click here to get live updates throughout the GE14 season