KUALA LUMPUR – Most state election candidates see the two-week campaign period as a time to make an impression on voters, but some hopefuls have chosen more eccentric tactics in an attempt to be memorable.
One such candidate is Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) Balakong contender, Steven Lai Choon Wen, who has posted several quirky videos on his TikTok account in an attempt to woo voters in the two-term DAP state constituency.
In one of his videos, Lai, with two other individuals, are seen performing a brief dance routine to popular hip-hop tune Low by Flo Rida, while PN’s promises for Selangor if they manage to win the state, currently held by Pakatan Harapan (PH), flash across the screen.
In the caption for the video, Lai, a Bersatu associate wing member, said: “I am a candidate that can serve and dance well. Hope voters will give me a chance to serve in Balakong. Vote for me.”
A separate video shows Lai in a similarly perplexing setting as he is depicted lifting weights in a gym accompanied by several other slightly more professional-looking bodybuilders dressed in PN attire.
The group, led by Lai, chant “Perikatan Nasional” as they execute their workout routine in the 28-second long clip, which Lai captioned: “Gym workout with Balakong residents! Strong residents, strong PN!”
The Balakong state seat will see a straight fight between Lai and Pakatan Harapan’s Wayne Ong Chun Wei from DAP.
Meanwhile, former Umno veteran Tan Sri Noh Omar’s daughter, Nurul Syazwani, also took to social media to publicise a video made for her by her supporters.
In the video, local comedian Zamatul Amri bin Zakari, better known as Tauke Jambu, tells another man that he can see “light in the darkness” while pointing to Nurul’s face printed on the PN shirt he is wearing.
Nurul also took the opportunity to thank the men in the video, which ended with the duo flashing a thumbs-up sign.
Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Wan Zulaika Anua, who is vying for the Semenyih state seat in Selangor, also opted for an unconventional campaign method during her walkabout in Desa Mewah.
The candidate, who is going against PN’s Nushi Mahfodz, took to Facebook to share photos of her cutting a young boy’s hair as part of a programme in the area on skill sharing.
Besides that, Muda’s candidate for the Sentosa state seat, Thanusha Ramanieswaran, sought to appeal to the youth voters as she posted a video of her doing the This or That Challenge.
The video saw Thanusha choosing, without providing context, between two options at a time. Some of the choices presented include football clubs Liverpool or Manchester United, books or movies, Netflix or YouTube, sunrise or sunset, and nasi lemak or nasi kandar.
Thanusha will be part of a four-cornered fight against PH incumbent G. Gunarajah, PN’s Parameswaran Ganason and Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Jeichandran Wadivelu.
While it remains to be seen how effective the video is at garnering votes, the posting of it on Twitter only managed to gain three retweets, one of which was from Muda’s official account.
In fact, a video of former Ampang MP Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin washing cars, as part of her campaign for PN’s Bukit Gasing candidate Nallan Dhanabalan, attracted significantly more views and shares.
In the video, uploaded by a news portal, Zuraida, who recently said that she is considering joining PN component Gerakan, is seen washing several vehicles and taking photos with several residents while holding a PN flag. – August 9, 2023