KUALA TERENGGANU: Voters in the state need to be open-minded when choosing highly skilled state assemblymen who can create effective policies that can propel Terengganu to compete with other successful states, such as Selangor, said Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Faculty of Business, Economics and Social Development lecturer Dr Mohd Yusri Ibrahim.
He said people in the state had a tendency to choose leaders who are approachable and accessible but they need to look at the authority of the leaders as well.
“Terengganu is rich in nature and produce. It has pristine beaches and islands, beautiful rivers and lakes. It has an incredible culture. We can market all these to develop the state’s economy.
“However, to benefit from all these elements and elevate Terengganu to the next level, we need visionary policies that are wise and strategic. We need experts in economy, administration and planning,” he told Bernama.
Mohd Yusri added that despite the state’s rich heritage, Terengganu’s gross domestic product was still low.
“Terengganu also has a port, an airport, a highway and soon will have the East Coast Rail Link. It will be ready to compete with other states. But all this will be wasted if the policymakers at the state level are not skilled,” he said.
Therefore, the best strategy to lift Terengganu’s economy and turn it into a glorious state would be to have a line-up of highly skilled leaders in the new state administration, he said.
A constituent of Ajil, Ahmad Maliki Muhammad, 38, said apart from preferring a local to represent them, an important criterion is for the candidates to have high academic qualifications.
“The ability to evaluate a situation and to solve crisis requires a representative to be matured and rational...younger candidates could be better, I feel,” said Ahmad, a staff of UMT.
“A representative should also be able to change the economy, increase the income of households and improve the people’s quality of life on par with the state’s development,” he said.
Another eligible voter, from the constituency of Buluh Gading, Norazura Embong, 29, said she wanted a representative who was in touch with the needs of the younger generation and who can also communicate and socialize with people from all walks of life.
“Representatives must treat us well, be responsible and also be able to receive feedback and work together for the benefit of everyone,” she said.
Terengganu has 32 constituencies, of which 22 are held by PAS and the rest by Barisan Nasional.
The state has 930,894 eligible voters with 64,264 young voters in the 18 to 20 category.
The Election Commission announced that nomination for the six-state elections involving Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan will be July 29, early voting on Aug 8 and the date for voting has been set as Aug 12.-Bernama