MELAKA: Pakatan Harapan’s Farzana Hayani Mohd Nasir is banking on her roots in Kelebang and understanding of residents’ concerns, while Bersama candidate Young Jie Yu hopes to draw on his engineering background to offer practical solutions to local infrastructure problems.
Farzana, who grew up in Bukit Rambai, said she chose to contest the Kelebang seat because of her close ties to the constituency, where her family and relatives still live.
“Kelebang is not necessarily easier to contest, but it is close to me. I grew up here from a young age, and my family and relatives are all here,” she said in an interview, adding that she had continued doing groundwork in the area after contesting Sungai Rambai in the previous state election at the age of 21.
Fishermen’s concerns, poorly maintained jetties, problems faced by padi farmers, women’s welfare and young people leaving Melaka to seek work elsewhere are among her key priorities.
As the only female candidate among the four contenders, Farzana said her experience as a mother, wife and working woman had given her a better understanding of the challenges faced by women.
“Young women, especially, who have to work away from their husbands to earn a better living, I feel their plight,” she said.
Acknowledging that she was up against more experienced opponents, she urged voters to give younger candidates an opportunity.
Meanwhile, Young, 40, said his professional experience in civil engineering had shaped his approach to addressing local problems.
Originally from Kampung Lapan, he graduated in civil engineering from the National University of Singapore and worked in Singapore and Hong Kong for more than 13 years.
He was involved in designing four underground stations for the Klang Valley MRT Line 2 before returning to Malaysia about three years ago.
He subsequently served as a senior research officer attached to the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.
Young identified flash floods and traffic congestion as two issues requiring attention in the constituency.
He said some older houses were vulnerable to flash floods because their ground level was lower than those of newer homes built nearby.
Although floodwaters usually receded within hours, the problem continued to affect residents.
“I have received three or four complaints,” he said, adding that addressing the problem would require short-, medium- and long-term planning, including improvements to the drainage system.
On traffic congestion, Young highlighted the need to improve traffic light timings and coordination.
He said his team had conducted a traffic count at a junction near a school, recording vehicle movements and signal timings before submitting a proposal to the Melaka Historic City Council and the Public Works Department.
“We want to show voters that with our professional background, we can give suggestions that work for the people,” he said.
