TAMPIN: Repah incumbent S. Veerapan wants voters to judge the Pakatan Harapan-led Negri Sembilan government on its local achievements rather than get distracted by federal issues.
“Federal issues are federal issues. At the state level, people must recognise what we have done for Negri Sembilan,” said the Pakatan Harapan candidate.
Veerapan said state revenue had grown from about RM420mil when Pakatan took over in 2018 to RM785mil last year and was on track to reach RM1bil in the coming years.
He said annual investments had also risen sharply to RM19.1bil, which he attributed to political stability, faster approvals and an investor-friendly administration.
Among the projects underway, Veerapan cited the Port Dickson AI Port, the Seremban Sentral redevelopment, data centres in Springhill, Nilai and Senawang, and agriculture-related investments in Gemas.
The next challenge, he said, is to ensure more young Negri Sembilan residents could build their future at home instead of leaving for bigger cities.
“We want our young people to come back, work here and help develop the state,” Veerapan said, adding that Pakatan aims to create about 30,000 jobs if returned to power.
“Education is one of the biggest allocations in the state budget.
“When I go house-to-house, parents tell me these initiatives help reduce their burden.”
Affordable housing also remains a priority, with plans for more homes across the state.
He hopes to build about 200 units in Repah and Tampin if suitable land is available.
Closer to home, Veerapan said he was pleased that a long-awaited crematorium project for the area had secured RM2.5mil in funding.
He said families currently have to travel to Seremban, Melaka or Bahau for cremation services.
“When a family is already grieving, having to travel so far makes things more difficult.
“This service has been my dream for a long time,” Veerapan said.
A four-term assemblyman and former two-term state executive councillor, Veerapan said he still believes in face-to-face meetings.
“When you go house-to-house, people know you.
“If you do not meet them (voters), how do you expect them to support you?”
Repah is a mixed seat, with Chinese voters making up 40.94%, Malays 39.88%, Indians 17.46% and others 1.72%.
