MELAKA: Young voters in the state have been urged to exercise their voting power in the 16th Melaka state election by making informed decisions based on accurate information and facts.
Melaka PKR dtate leadership vouncil acting chairman Adam Adli Abd Halim (pic) said they should not be influenced by sentiment or politics of hate when casting their ballots on Nov 14.
He said voters aged between 18 and 39, who make up 47.34% of the 687,697 registered voters in Melaka, had the power to shape the future of the state administration, and therefore should choose leaders with integrity.
"By nature, when making decisions, apart from consulting our minds, we also consult our hearts on what is rational and what shapes our emotions.
"Look for what is good, and do not base our decisions on politics of hate,” he said in a recent interview with Bernama.
Adam Adli said he was optimistic about Melaka’s future after witnessing the active participation of the state’s younger generation in the democratic process.
"The responsibility is the same regardless of whether one is young or old, but I believe young people have a different kind of energy and courage to bring about change.
"So, the state has a bright future because young people in Melaka are actively participating in democratic processes. This is your time,” he said.
On PKR’s candidate selection for the state election, Adam Adli said the party had adopted a more meticulous approach, fielding seven new faces out of the 10 state seats it is contesting.
He said careful assessments had been carried out to ensure that the candidates selected were suited to their respective constituencies and had strong support from grassroots machinery, while also creating opportunities for young leaders.
"For example, Farzana Hayani Mohd Nasir, the candidate for the Kelebang state seat, previously contested in Sungai Rambai, which was not her hometown.
"But now, in Kelebang, she is in her own area. She had been working there from the early stages, engaging with the community and growing up there. So, that is an improvement,” he said.
Adam Adli said PKR was targeting victories in several identified seats, while also aiming to increase the number of votes it received in all the constituencies it contested compared with the 2021 Melaka state election.
He said this confidence was based on what he described as a more positive voter trend for the upcoming election compared with the previous state election, which recorded a low voter turnout of 65.85%.
"We (PKR) will always aim to win in areas where we have a chance of doing so. In areas that we know are not our strongholds, we must ensure that, over time, we increase our support. If we go from 10 votes to 100, and from 100 to 1,000, we will keep building until we eventually succeed in winning,” he said.
The Election Commission has set Nov 14 as polling day, while early voting will take place on Nov 10. - Bernama
