IPOH, Nov 17 — Perak Perikatan Nasional (PN) has offered monetary aid to couples tying the knot for the first time, as part of its manifesto for the 15th general election (GE15).
Coalition chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said that the aid will make it easier for couples in Perak to get married.
“This benefit is expected to reduce the pressure on couples who want to start a family,” he said in his speech during the launch of the Perak PN Manifesto at the Meru Casuarina Hotel here.
Ahmad Faizal said that the manifesto themed “PN Brings Improvements to the State, With the Prosperity Initiative Agenda” will centre on five core elements, namely education, society, women, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
He said that Perak PN will also offer land to every family yet to own a home, to build a residence according to their household capacity.
“As many as 50,000 families are expected to benefit from this initiative,” he said.
He said the manifesto also offers vouchers for the purchase of gadgets, including laptops and tablets, with a value not exceeding RM1,000, at selected stores.
He added PN government will introduce Takaful “Gig Economy” Employee Protection to cover the welfare of those who involved in the sector.
As for women survivors of domestic violence, Ahmad Faizal said PN will provide a dormitory room, basic personal needs, and food and drink throughout their stay at a transit centre before they are allocated special housing.
“We will also increase the value of the Kasih Ibu Darul Ridzuan card from RM290 to RM400 per month. This is in line with the increase in the cost of necessities as well as health expenses,” he said.
For youths, he said Perak PN intends to develop an Artificial Intelligence research centre as well as an e-sports stadium, apart from the recently launched construction of an e-sports youth cabin.
Ahmad Faizal also said the coalition is committed to resuming the reforestation programme for the next 10 years.
“The state has been leading in replanting trees, where more than 10 million trees throughout the state have been successfully replanted from 2010 to 2020,” he said.
“We also pledged to ensure that almost 981 rivers and streams throughout Perak and its coast will continue to be protected; and any development will be carried out carefully with an ecosystem and environmental impact study,” he added.
Separately, during a press conference, when asked why the manifesto was only being announced two days before polling, Ahmad Faizal said this was because PN had been gathering input from the people during its campaign.
He also stressed that this should not be seen as a desperate move by the party, but instead as their fine-tuning measures for a better and more inclusive manifesto.
“We are merely improving the manifesto and what was announced is not ‘sweets’ simply thrown to the people,” he said.
