KUALA LUMPUR: Young candidates contesting the 15th General Election (GE15) expressed their intention to fight for the voices and aspirations of young people, in addition to solving issues in their respective constituencies, if elected as people’s representatives.
This includes Pakatan Harapan-PKR candidate for the Arau parliamentary seat, Fathin Amelina Fazlie, 28, who will focus on education issues, living standards and local economic development ideas to change the fate of the people, especially the B40 group which comprises fishermen and farmers.
“I am running in the name of Allah and want to serve the less fortunate, especially women, farmers, fishermen and students who are facing financial issues. I also aspire to bring change to the Perlis economy.
“As a newcomer, I realise that voters and veteran politicians lack faith in the credibility of young candidates, but I am mentally and physically prepared to fight for the future of the people of this state,” she told Bernama.
Fathin Amelia will be involved in a three-cornered fight involving two big names, corporate figure, Datuk Rozabil Abdul Rahman (Barisan Nasional) and the Arau parliamentary seat incumbent, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (Perikatan Nasional-PAS).
In KEDAH, PH candidate for Sungai Petani parliamentary seat, Mohamed Taufiq Johari, 26, is eager to defend the constituency seat previously held by his father, Datuk Johari Abdul, for three terms.
He said that several issues in the Sungai Petani area would be his focus, including water supply problems, traffic congestion, boosting the local tourism industry and youth economic empowerment.
“Sungai Petani has all it takes to become a developed area, all it needs is the right person to make it successful,” he told Bernama today.
Mohammed Taufiq will be up against Datuk Shahanim Mohamad Yusoff representing BN, Datuk Marzuki Yahya (GTA-Pejuang), Dr Robert Ling Kui Ee (PN-Bersatu) and Tan Chow Kang @ Tan Joon Long (Parti Rakyat Malaysia).
In TERENGGANU, a BN candidate contesting for the Dungun parliamentary seat, Nurhisam Johari, 40, said that he has a mission to bring reform to the area if given a mandate by the people on Nov 19.
“I want to bring reforms for Dungun, after a long time we got representatives from 'the other side'. I have also received complaints from young people about the lack of job opportunities in Dungun, coupled with the high cost of living and so on.
“We have a strategy to help young people, and they (young people) want to see what BN has to offer. So far I can't make any promises, we need to see the federal BN manifesto first, I want to coordinate what can be offered to the people of Dungun based on the BN manifesto later,” he said.
Nurhisam will be facing Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli from PN-PAS, Datuk Dr Mohd Johari Mohamad (PH-PKR), Noraisah Hasan (Pejuang) and Ghazali Ismail (Independent).
Meanwhile in Kuala Terengganu, PAS state Information chief, Hishamuddin Abd Karim, denied claims that the party sidelined young people as candidates to contest the state's seven parliamentary seats in this election, instead highlighting those who are experienced, professional and energetic.
Hishamuddin said that this is because the chances of young people from the state being highlighted as candidates are still bright, including in the state election that will be held later.
“Young people need to be trained and given a role at the state level first. At the national administrative level, to portray the seriousness of PAS, we field experienced, energetic and clean Members of Parliament,” he said at a press conference here today.-Bernama