YOUNG blood will battle for the Bukit Antarabangsa seat in the upcoming Selangor polls.
Muda has named its chief of staff Melanie Ting, 23, as its candidate for the seat held by assemblyman and Perikatan Nasional information chief Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Ting: We have been reaching out to the older folk too.
The former Selangor mentri besar is now leading the Perikatan Nasional election team in Selangor.
Ting, a law graduate who grew up in Sri Petaling and lives in Shah Alam, enjoyed studying constitutional law in particular and said this was why she entered politics.
She volunteered for relief work during the Covid-19 movement control order and also after devastating floods hit Selangor in December 2021.
“I was then recruited by the central committee to join the women’s empowerment bureau committee in Shah Alam,” she told StarMetro.
She said she chose to contest in Bukit Antarabangsa because of its diverse socio-economic and multiracial population.
“The place has a unique personality which suits me.
“I am focusing on environmental protection and youth empowerment.
“I want to provide more co-curricular and entrepreneurial opportunities for youths to expand their horizon.
“There is a misconception that only well-off people live in Bukit Antarabangsa; there are also the B40 and M40 communities who lack opportunities to grow.
“More youths should be allowed to explore music, arts and culture, and sports which I am passionate about promoting.
“I admit that I am young, but it does not mean I am inexperienced. And it is not only about winning younger hearts,” she said, adding that she had been busy reaching out to older constituents too.
Mohd Kamri: We want to ensure stability after what happened.
“My team and I have been going around to talk to the older generation. We are getting to know their issues and what affects their livelihood,” she said.
Muda will face Pakatan Harapan in five seats in Selangor, namely Kota Anggerik, Seri Setia, Sungai Kandis, Bukit Antarabangsa and Sentosa.
Meanwhile, PKR has announced that Bukit Antarabangsa election director Mohd Kamri Kamaruddin will be its candidate for the constituency and music composer and singer Syed Ahmad Abdul Rahman, fondly known as Altimet, will contest in Lembah Jaya.
Mohd Kamri told StarMetro that the party-hopping that happened after GE15 had left many constituents feeling angry and betrayed by representatives they voted for.
He said now that the unity government was at federal level, they want to ensure social and economic stability would be the driving force for success in Bukit Antarabangsa.
“We have been through plenty of challenges in the last three years; three prime ministers, the Covid-19 pandemic and instability.
“People hope for recovery under the unity government,” he said.
Syed Ahmad is PKR’s candidate for Lembah Jaya.
Syed Ahmad, 45, the Ampang PKR division chief, concurred that maintaining progress and stability was the main factor.
“It is not so much about fielding young blood but new blood.
“I am an entrepreneur in the entertainment industry.
“It is vital to find good leaders and we need to right the wrong,” he said.
As a father of three, he said improving livelihood prospects for the future generation was important.
“Selangor is the most economically advanced state in the country, so we need to learn from our mistakes and correct them,” said Syed Ahmad.
