State polls: Kedah voters want stability and development

SUNGAI PETANI: Voters in Kedah want the party that will govern the state after the Aug 12 polls to prioritise political stability, infrastructure development and balanced socioeconomic growth.

Several voters, when met, expressed the fervent hope that Kedah would be administered in the most efficient manner with good coordination between the state and Federal governments.

Entrepreneur Zarina Abdullah, 58, said the issue of basic amenities such as clean water supply in several areas in the state had yet to be resolved and had impacted the lives of the people, especially traders.

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“As a small trader, I am grateful to have received assistance from the central government for my food business. But the problem in this state is that we are still facing water supply issues.

“This problem is affecting my business operations to some extent,” she said.

Single mother Faridah Hamzah, 59, hoped that whoever was elected to run Kedah would ensure political stability and economic growth so that the state would be on par with neighbouring Penang in terms of development.

“…Kedah is already the second poorest state right now (in terms of per capita income). We really hope that whoever is elected will be able to bring in development for the sake of my children’s future,” she said.

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Meanwhile, political analyst Mujibu Abd Muis said the grievances voiced by voters in Kedah were a manifestation of the need for a state administration that is able to move in tandem with the Federal Government so that development can be coordinated effectively.

Therefore, he said it was important for the people in the state to make a wise decision when exercising their right on polling day by choosing candidates from parties that can facilitate such coordination.

According to the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Institution of Malay Rulers Chair fellow, being popular does not make a person a good leader, and the people in Kedah should not be influenced by sentiment when casting their ballots.

Echoing the sentiment, Political Science lecturer at UiTM Kedah’s Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Policy Studies Firdaus Ramli said development plans in can be implemented more effectively by a state administration aligned with Putrajaya.

“Disagreement between the Federal and state governments might delay or prevent proper implementation of the development strategy and plans,” he said. – BK