THE unity coalition’s victory in Selangor, Penang and Negri Sembilan will put an end to speculation about the unity government collapsing, according to a Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate.
Rajiv Rishyakaran, who is PH’s candidate for Bukit Gasing state constituency, said victory for the unity coalition in these 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 Negri Sembilan, will put an end to this,” he was reported as saying by FMT today (Aug 2).
Rajiv is seeking a third term as Bukit Gasing assemblyman. He is challenged by VKK Raja of Muda and D. Nallan of Perikatan Nasional.
Addressing a statement by Raja last week calling for the introduction of local council elections, Rajiv said while he supported the idea of local council elections, it is unlikely that the idea be implemented during the current government’s term as Barisan Nasional (BN) 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,” the two-term Bukit Gasing state assemblyman said.
Last Thursday (July 27), Raja said that the decentralisation of power is a crucial aspect in empowering communities.
He further noted that as councillors and mayors in the local governments are appointed by the state government, they are therefore political appointees with powers centralised in the federal government, state government and local councils, which he pointed out was “far from ideal” and “increasingly untenable”.
In his statement, Raja also called on Bukit Gasing voters to demand that state election candidates pledge to support local council elections.
For the record, all 14 of Muda’s Selangor candidates have pledged to push for this legislative change, if elected. – Aug 2, 2023
Main pic credit: Facebook/Rajiv Rishyakaran
