Though she has been walking the ground for just less than a year, Ms Alia said that the experience has been eye-opening.
“People are welcoming, they are so keen to talk about … whatever issues they are facing. You realise that there are many issues that are underlying in society that need to be brought up,” she said.
She added that some common matters raised by residents included concerns about the cost of living, healthcare expenses, as well as housing affordability and availability.
With more time spent away from home, it was tough for her children to accept this new reality.
She said that her 12-year-old daughter, the youngest of the three, bawled at first. Her other two children are aged 18 and 15.
“But I said, ‘Look, we’ve to think beyond ourselves.’ And when I go home and I share with them stories, they’re very keen to know what’s going on,” Ms Alia said, adding she was proud of them that they were showing concern for others.
And in her relatively short time as a volunteer, Ms Alia’s dedication impressed the opposition party enough that the party leaders asked her to become a candidate “not too long ago”.
She had her doubts at first, but her husband convinced her to take the leap.
“When I was first approached, I discussed it first with my husband and he said, ‘You can achieve so much more’,” she said, adding that she decided to be a candidate after talking to him.
“I cannot say that I need more representation in parliament and then just say, ‘Okay, no, but not me’.
“If I want more representation, then I have to be willing and able to step up and also, you know, offer my services as well.”
FATHER’S INFLUENCE
Ms Alia is the third of four siblings, while her father is one of 12.
“I saw my dad looking after his dad, taking turns with his siblings. But towards the end, I could see that my dad spent a lot of time trying to look after his dad,” she said.
Her father had also taken care of her mother as she battled Parkinson’s disease. She died nine years ago.
“I would say that my dad – looking at how he was in terms of how well he looked after the people around him – he’s shaped a very big part of my life,” she said.
Now she and her siblings take turns to care for their father, who has several chronic conditions and kidney failure.
