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 met Bernama expressed the fervent hope that Kedah would be administered in the most efficient manner and there would be good coordination between the state and federal governments.
Small and medium enterprise entrepreneur Zarina Abdullah, 58, opined that the issue of basic amenities, such as clean water supply in several areas in the state has not yet been resolved, which has an impact on the lives of people, especially traders.
"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 water supply 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 state 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.
Meanwhile, political analyst Mujibu Abd Muis said all the grievances voiced by voters in Kedah were well-founded and 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 are aligned with the federal government.
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 any sentiment when casting their ballots.
Echoing the same sentiment, Political Science lecturer at the Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Policy Studies, UiTM Kedah Branch, Firdaus Ramli said that development plans in the state of Kedah can be implemented effectively if a state administration is aligned with the federal government.
"Disagreement between the federal and state governments might delay or prevent the proper implementation of the development strategy and plan,” he said. - BERNAMA