Malacca opposition reps will get funding if Harapan returns to govern - Adly

 

MALACCA POLLS | Pakatan Harapan is committed to continuing allocations to opposition representatives should it return to govern Malacca, a practice implemented when the coalition led the state government in 2018.

State Harapan chairperson Adly Zahari said these allocations should be maintained to ensure all elected representatives possess sufficient financial resources to carry out their duties and serve the community.

The former Malacca chief minister noted that when Harapan governed the state in 2018, it became the first state administration to provide allocations to opposition assembly members.

"Based on my own experience as an opposition member, the absence of such allocations makes it difficult for assembly members to manage their service centres and assist the community in their respective constituencies.

"If you are an assemblyperson and receive absolutely no allocation, it becomes extremely challenging. At the very least, there should be an allocation for the operation of a service centre," he told reporters yesterday.

Adly (above) said that although funds are channelled through district offices and government agencies, financial resources provided by the state government to opposition assemblypersons are essential for distribution to the public in the form of various types of assistance.

Reform pledge

Touching on reform pledges, Adly, who is defending the Bukit Katil seat in the upcoming state polls, intends to expand digitalisation initiatives, for instance, through a "Smart Melaka" system which would serve as a platform for the public to submit requests for aid and lodge complaints.

He explained that this method aims to ensure that the distribution of aid and the resolution of public issues are carried out more transparently, free from political influence.

"Under this approach, every request for assistance or complaint received by an elected representative will be recorded in the system before being forwarded to the relevant agencies for further action; the respective agencies will then make a final decision on the approval or the resolution of the issue.

"The implementation of this digitalisation system also allows the public to track the status of their complaints, such as those concerning infrastructure issues like clogged drains or fallen trees, while indirectly enabling the government to monitor the actions taken," he said.

High resolution percentage

Regarding the Bukit Katil constituency, Adly noted that 255 complaints have been received from residents since the end of last year, 231 of which have been successfully resolved.

He added that of this total, 101 cases involved issues related to drains, drainage, and infrastructure, while over 80 others concerned welfare matters, including the provision of medical equipment and assistance for children undergoing medical treatment.

Adly faces a four-way contest for the Bukit Katil state constituency, going up against challengers Ridzuan Sarif (Perikatan Nasional), Dr Aliza Che Amran (Bersama), and Abu Bakar Sabudin (Independent).

In the previous state election, he won the seat with a majority of 1,057 votes.

The Election Commission has set Nov 14 as polling day, with early voting scheduled for Nov 10.

- Bernama