Azman pledges to bring federal initiatives to Paya Rumput

TANGGA BATU: Bridging the gap between federal policies and the everyday needs of residents is central to Datuk Azman Abidin's campaign pitch in Paya Rumput.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate said feedback gathered during his early campaign walkabouts highlighted several pressing local concerns, particularly the rising cost of living, ageing school infrastructure and job opportunities for youths, which he said required closer alignment with national initiatives.

Azman cited federal initiatives, including the National Action Council on Cost of Living (Naccol) and the newly announced Sejati Madani grants, as among the mechanisms that could be leveraged to address these concerns.

He said that while basic infrastructure and flood-related issues were frequently raised, household expenses remained the biggest concern among residents.

"Most of the people I met during my visits spoke extensively about the cost of living, besides raising concerns about infrastructure and floods.

"We know the prime minister and the government are working hard to address this. In Paya Rumput, this is an issue I must give serious attention to," he said.

Education is another key focus of his grassroots platform, particularly the condition of local primary and secondary schools.

"There are facilities that need upgrading, with some ageing and the basic needs of students in several schools still not being met.

"I want to focus on school infrastructure as well as academic support programmes for students' development," he said, adding that his immediate focus would be on primary and secondary schools in the constituency.

On efforts to retain local talent and young people to drive the state's economy, Azman highlighted the recent 2027 Budget announcement designating Melaka as a Centre of Excellence for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), in line with the government's aspirations.

"This is a platform to upskill our workers, encourage them to learn and become certified skilled workers. I want to tap into this agenda for the benefit of Paya Rumput," he said.

Azman also pledged to support the constituency's sizeable number of lower-income small traders and food stall operators by leveraging federal assistance schemes.

"A lot of residents here in the B40 group run small businesses and stalls. Aside from the newly announced Sejati Madani grants, which will help small traders significantly, I want to see how else we can assist them directly," he said.

Azman, who is contesting against Perikatan Nasional-Pas candidate Rafie Ahmad and Bersama's Abdul Rashid Abu Bakar, said he was not taking any of his opponents lightly, but remained focused on engaging directly with voters.

"The response on the ground so far has been very good.

"I want to reach out to as many people as possible in Paya Rumput because that is the only way to genuinely understand the real issues and problems here that need to be addressed," he said.