OLD neighbourhood malls and shopping complexes in Pandan Indah, Selangor can be revitalised to generate the local economy, says Independent candidate Sivaneswaran Ramasundram.
The 48-year-old contesting the Pandan Indah seat in Selangor said he has several proposals to revive these aged complexes.
"These complexes are no longer drawing crowds like they used to. The occupancy is also low and the spaces can be better utilised," he told StarMetro.
Sivaneswaran suggested that roadside stalls, which have mushroomed in the township over the past several years, could be shifted into these complexes.
"We will negotiate with the landlords to give them cheaper rent. In exchange, having popular traders will bring in more footfall into the complex," the businessman said.
Sivaneswaran said that, if elected, he also planned to introduce free tuition classes to be held in such complexes, which would help to bring in more customers.
"We can also look into organising skills training such as barber courses and sewing classes to help build local talent."
Besides plans to revitalise the local economy, he also hopes to address neighbourhood concerns such as dengue, security and strata title issues.
Sivaneswaran, who currently heads the Pertubuhan 5K Komuniti Pandan Selangor charity organisation, said he wants to take his experience in various community projects to a larger scale if elected.
Four candidates are contesting the Pandan Indah seat in the upcoming 2023 state elections.
Sivaneswaran is going up against Pakatan Harapan's incumbent Izham Hashim, Fazil Mohamad Dali from Perikatan Nasional and Lisa Redzuan from Muda.
In GE14, Izham won the seat obtaining 24,914 votes against Barisan Nasional's Datuk Haniff Koslan and PAS' Datuk Iskandar A. Samad.
