Victory in 3 states will silence rumours of unity govt collapse, says PH rep

Rajiv Rishyakaran is seeking a third term as assemblyman for Bukit Gasing.

PETALING JAYA: Victory for the unity coalition in Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan will silence talk of the unity government collapsing, according to Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the Bukit Gasing constituency.

Rajiv Rishyakaran said taking the three states would be an indication of the people’s support for the stability that the unity government has brought.

“A win for the unity team in Selangor, as well as in Penang and Negeri Sembilan, will put an end to this,” he told FMT.

Rajiv is seeking a third term as Bukit Gasing assemblyman. He is challenged by VKK Raja of Muda and D Nallan of Perikatan Nasional.

He also addressed a statement by Raja on Friday calling for the introduction of local council elections.

Rajiv said he supported the idea of local council elections, but it would not likely be implemented during the current government’s term, as Barisan Nasional may not support it.

“We are running now as a coalition of parties nationally, and the policies that we put forward are the ones that we can agree on.

“That means we have to give and take, so it’s understandable. If PH wins the government outright, then these are the policies that the whole country accepts, but the country is not ready for that yet,” he said.

On Thursday, Raja called on Bukit Gasing voters to demand that state election candidates pledge to support local council elections.

All 14 of Muda’s Selangor candidates have pledged to push for this legislative change, if elected.

Rajiv said he wants to continue pioneering sustainable ways to improve Bukit Gasing if re-elected, noting several successful programmes during his tenure.

“We’ve started off with Kumpool, which was revolutionary. The service was unheard of before we launched it, and now it’s become quite known and widespread,” he said.

Kumpool is an e-hailing carpool app providing transport between homes and public transport stations.

“We have also been the first constituency in Selangor to roll out a convenient recycling programme, where people can put their recycling in transparent bags and put them in the trash bin, every day.

Rajiv said he also makes himself available to all his constituents from 5pm to 7.30pm every Wednesday.

“Through these interactions that we have with them, we’ve dealt with more than 6,000 issues over the past 10 years.”

He said his office runs several legal aid sessions, health screenings, and smartphone classes for the elderly every year, along with hosting all major cultural festivals for all members of the community. - FMT