KANGAR – Perlis is in danger of becoming a home mostly to the aged as it is unable to create adequate jobs for youngsters and professionals, said its sole opposition leader.
Indera Kayangan assemblyperson Gan Ay Ling has claimed that since Perikatan Nasional (PN) led by PAS took over the state for the first time from Barisan Nasional (BN), the development pace slowed to a grind.
At this rate, she said the state could only offer contentment to the old, while the young migrate to other places in search of better employment and a higher living quality.
Gan said that the state government is trying to do something but it is at a slow pace, and it puts off the young who are eager to seek greener pastures in view of rising living costs and the drop in the value of the ringgit.
Perlis also shares two border crossing points with southern Thailand's Songkhla and Satun provinces.
However, since the decline of the ringgit, cross-border trade has also been affected, as the cost of doing foreign business for Malaysians escalates.
"It is mostly stagnant in Perlis. There is a sense of uneasiness because it is believed that the state government is also bogged down with differences of opinions," Gan said in an interview with The Vibes.
Earlier, it was reported that Perlis PAS is facing issues of differences in opinions, causing uneasiness among its Bersatu ally in the state.
According to Perlis Bersatu chairman Abu Bakar Hamzah, the internal row concerns several issues, including religious interpretation and matters related to administration.
PAS spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin reportedly said the internal rift in Perlis PAS is still under control and will be resolved within a week.
Hashim brushed off the rift, saying disagreements are normal among political parties.
Gan said that the learning curve for PN is rather steep and there is a need to quicken the pace of governance especially since the development rate has become slower compared to neighbours such as Kedah and Penang even during BN’s rule.
The country's smallest state, which only has three districts, also needs to find ways of enhancing its food security.
The move towards boosting farming yields is slow while the state deals with different federal agencies.
Gan said there are speculations that the state government is plagued by differences in policy outlooks within the PAS camp, led by its Mentri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli.
The former religious teacher is said to have his hands full nursing the rifts.
"It is a factor but I would not dare say that it is the main reason. The state needs to change its approach towards fast-tracking development and problem solving," she said.
Among the issues are affordable housing and boosting the economy after the slump the state encountered in coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said. – The Vibes, October 29, 2023.
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