ALOR SETAR: The Federal Government has put the nation on the right track towards prosperity, says Pakatan Harapan's Alor Mengkudu candidate Datuk Mahfuz Omar.

The Kedah Pakatan chairman called on all youth not to derail the "locomotive" that has been prepared for them to ride towards the future.

"I am calling on the youth to be together with us on this track and be on the train that is driven by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim right now.

"They must be ready to climb on board and, together, assist the Prime Minister and the new state government which will be formed by us (the unity government).

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"Make sure you don't miss it because when the time comes, it is you who will be taking over the train," he said.

The former three-term Pokok Sena MP said the Aug 12 state polls is an election for the youth as it will decide their future.

"The youth must not (be swayed by) narrow sentiment without looking at the agenda that we want to introduce in Kedah," he said in Kampung Alor Gandak on Monday (July 31) while on the campaign trail.

There, he paid a visit to villager Jamaluddin Isa, who was left paralysed after he suffered a stroke recently.

Mahfuz is set to face former football great Mohd Radhi Mat Din of Perikatan Nasional in the seat won by former state Amanah chief Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi in the 14th General Election in 2018.

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Phahrolrazi has since joined PKR after protesting Amanah's decision to let DAP contest in the Jerai parliamentary seat in GE15 last year.

Mahfuz said that if elected, he will upgrade and modernise paddy field irrigation channels in the area.

"In Alor Mengkudu, I would say the majority of channels here are old and have not been upgraded. This has caused the farmers difficulties," he said.

He pointed out that the Prime Minister recently announced that RM3bil has been allocated to upgrade agricultural infrastructure and enable five planting seasons every two years in Kedah.

Therefore, Mahfuz said, it is vital for the people in Alor Mengkudu and Kedah as a whole to vote in unity government representatives in the Aug 12 polls.

"If the state government is not aligned with the Federal Government, there will be a problem utilising the allocation," he said.

On the caretaker state government's intention to build the Kulim International Airport, Mahfuz said it had no proper plan to develop the state.

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He said the PAS-led state government had created a narrative that the Federal Government under Anwar's leadership had refused to cooperate.

Alor Mengkudu is a semi-urban seat that comprises more than 70% Malay voters.

The constituency has seen rapid development over the past 10 years with many housing estates built.

It also has vast paddy fields owned and run by locals.

It has about 38,000 voters, an increase of 30% over GE14.