MACHAP JAYA: With more than one in five voters aged 61 and above, caring for senior citizens has emerged as a key concern among the three candidates contesting the Machap Jaya state seat in the Melaka election.
Barisan Nasional incumbent Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem said elderly residents, especially those living alone or with limited mobility, need more attention and help.
He said some are unaware of the assistance available to them, adding that he would continue to help them approach the relevant government agencies if he is re-elected.
Known as “Ah Sem” among the locals, Ngwe said residents could contact him directly by phone whenever they need help or want to raise an issue.
His plans also include developing a 36.96ha permanent food production park in Menggong, exploring another 26.06ha for agriculture and promoting the constituency’s two new villages as tourist attractions.
Looking ahead, Ngwe hopes to develop a small industrial park to create more job opportunities for young people and allow them to work closer to home.
He also proposed building an alternative 5km road to ease traffic congestion, adding that future developments should address local needs and improve residents’ access to infrastructure and economic opportunities.
His Pakatan Harapan rival Datuk Ginie Lim Siew Li, a former assemblywoman seeking to win back the seat, said the number of elderly residents living alone was one of the concerns that struck her during her visits.
“Almost every street has at least one elderly person living alone. Their children may be working elsewhere, so they rely on their neighbours to look after one another,” she said.
Lim, who won the seat in 2018 but did not contest in 2021, hopes to push for a state-led long-term care system so that senior citizens can receive proper attention.
She also plans to introduce community care services, health and wellness activities and support for family caregivers.
For younger residents, she said, finding stable jobs, earning decent starting salaries and coping with the rising cost of living remained major concerns.
Bersama candidate Prasanth Kumar Brakasam said many young people had left Machap Jaya for jobs in Kuala Lumpur, Johor and Singapore, leaving behind an ageing population.
He proposed small-scale farming on residential plots to help elderly residents without steady incomes earn extra money.
He also highlighted complaints about poor mobile phone coverage, Internet connectivity and water supply, as well as pollution allegedly caused by a chicken farm and rubbish dumped by lorries.
Prasanth sees potential in agro-tourism, particularly around the hiking area at Bukit Putih, and hopes to help local batik producers reach wider markets.
If elected, he plans to hold regular Hari Rakyat sessions at the constituency’s eight polling district centres, meeting residents every one or two weeks to hear their concerns.
Machap Jaya has 16,066 registered voters, including 3,631 aged 61 and above, representing 22.6% of the electorate.
Of these, 2,150 are aged 61-70, 1,048 are between 71 and 80, and 433 are above 80.
