Melaka Polls: PH’s Ashraf Mukhlis Vows To Prioritise Infrastructure, Women’s Welfare

ALOR GAJAH, Nov 7 (Bernama) -- Upgrading infrastructure and basic amenities, empowering women economically and strengthening community welfare are among the priorities of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Durian Tunggal candidate in the Melaka state election, Datuk Ashraf Mukhlis Minghat.

He said that during the first week of campaigning, residents had frequently raised concerns over basic infrastructure, including poorly maintained drains, road conditions and drainage systems in low-lying areas prone to flooding.

“Throughout the campaign, I have found that basic infrastructure issues, including poorly maintained drains and road conditions, are among the concerns most frequently raised by residents.

“This shows that despite our perception that things are being well managed, these problems persist. I believe they must be among my priorities,” he told Bernama.

He said women's economic empowerment would also feature prominently in his agenda if elected, particularly through efforts to develop the growing entrepreneurial ecosystem within the local community.

Ashraf said women entrepreneurs in the constituency should be given greater exposure to opportunities to expand their markets, as well as access to financial assistance to grow their businesses.

He said the welfare of single mothers and senior citizens also required attention to ensure they were not left out of government assistance programmes.

“The criteria for welfare assistance may need to be reviewed to ensure that those who genuinely need help are not left out,” he said.

Ashraf said he aimed to meet as many voters as possible through face-to-face engagement, including house-to-house visits and walkabouts at shops and night markets.

“Based on the first week of campaigning, we have seen increasingly positive responses from the community during our visits to the areas,” he said.

The Durian Tunggal seat, which has 21,181 registered voters, will see a straight fight between Ashraf and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Dr Mustafa Musa.

In the 2021 state election, BN candidate Datuk Zahari Abd Kalil won the seat with a 559-vote majority, defeating Datuk Mohd Sofi Abd Wahab (PH), Ja'afar Othman (PN) and independent candidate Mohd Erfan Mahrilar.

Polling is on Nov 14, with early voting set for Nov 10.

For updates on the state election, visit https://election.bernama.com/prn/melaka/2026/.

-- BERNAMA