State polls: Rina Harun to focus on bread and butter issues

PERIKATAN Nasional’s Batu Tiga candidate Datuk Seri Rina Harun (pic) has vowed to bring up bread and butter issues that matter to the people over the next six days on the campaign trail.

“Most of Batu Tiga is made up of a working-class community and I can feel the effects of the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. As I do the walk-abouts, I listen to the people’s difficulties that revolve around financial stress,” she said.

Rina added that the people’s worries that cropped up in the short meet-ups were the high cost of living with food prices going up, unaffordable housing, access to quality healthcare, job matching for fresh graduates and debts incurred in order to survive hardships of life.

“Ordinary people are willing to share their stories of difficulties and yearn for solutions. It is the uncertainty over the direction of the state government, economic opportunities and prices of basic necessities. Our manifesto tells our plan to help the working class,” she said.

Rina added it is the second pointer in the manifesto for economic help for the people.

“Improving people's economic status. In the manifesto, our coalition pledges to deal with the rising cost of living and ensure the food supply is secured at a reasonable price.

Among the offers included under the manifesto is to introduce the ‘Bantuan Prihatin Keluarga Selangor’ with RM312mil allocation each year and is expected to help 65,000 families with RM400 cash-aid every month,” she said.

Meanwhile, Rina said that she had met a number of single mothers who are struggling to make ends meet due to the high prices of basic necessities.

“I find there is a lack of formulation of policies by the Federal Government or programmes to lift such groups from the sluggish economic situation. As the former Women, Family and Community Development Minister, I urge the government to revisit and strengthen several initiatives I had introduced while in the ministry,” she said.

Rina added that financial aid initiatives should be widened to help the physically challenged and disabled who are unable to work.

“I hope the government would give attention to the physically challenged to lead a better life,” she said.

Contesting in the state elections in a three-cornered fight for Batu Tiga are Datuk Seri Rina Harun (PN-Bersatu), Malaysian United Democratic Alliance Party (Muda) candidate Saiyidah Izzati Nur Razak Maideen and private university adjunct associate professor Danial Al-Rashid Haron (PH-Amanah).