A local influencer’s light-hearted challenge to politicians ahead of the upcoming Johor state election appears to have paid off after potholes behind his business premises were repaired just days after he posted a viral complaint online.
Chong Jia Wern, founder of Jia Yi Milk Tea and a social media influencer, drew widespread attention after posting a video highlighting the poor condition of a back alley behind his shop in Mount Austin.
In the video uploaded on June 6, Chong showcased the damaged roadway, claiming the issue had persisted for some time despite previous complaints.
With the state election approaching, he decided to take a different approach by publicly calling on politicians planning to contest in the area to help resolve the problem.
He jokingly declared that whichever politician managed to get the road repaired would earn his vote.
The video quickly gained traction online, but not all reactions were positive.
Chong later revealed that some social media users criticised his approach, arguing that making a public video was not the proper channel for lodging complaints.
Others reportedly mocked the video and questioned whether it would have any effect.
Responding to the criticism, Chong admitted he was unfamiliar with official complaint procedures but said creating videos was the method he knew best to draw attention to local issues.
He added that once the video attracted public attention, it had already succeeded in highlighting the problem.
Just two days later, Chong posted an update showing workers carrying out repairs on the back alley.
He praised the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) for what he described as a remarkably swift response.
The influencer also pointed out that the repairs appeared to prove that his unconventional complaint method was not as ineffective as some critics had suggested.
Following the viral post, Johor Bahru city councillor Ng Yew Aik clarified that the local authority had already been monitoring the issue.
According to Ng, MBJB had previously approved an allocation under its road shoulder repair programme to address the damaged back alley.
He also revealed that the council’s rapid response team conducted temporary repair works at the site on the night of June 8.
Ng thanked Chong for bringing additional attention to the matter and helping highlight concerns affecting local businesses and residents.
What began as a tongue-in-cheek promise of a vote in exchange for road repairs ultimately resulted in swift action, leaving many amused by how quickly the long-standing issue was resolved.
