MELAKA: A first-time candidate who spent nearly two decades as a civil servant believes he can unseat a former chief minister in Bukit Katil, a seat that was decided by just 1,057 votes last time.
Perikatan Nasional’s Muhammad Ridzuan Mohd Sarif, 42, said the warm reception he had received from voters had buoyed his first election campaign.
The PAS candidate said he had visited night markets and housing estates across the constituency, including Taman Sin Hoe in Bukit Baru here, where he met Chinese and Indian voters.
“I may not get their full support, but I will keep reaching out to them,” he said when met at the Melaka PAS headquarters in Semabok here on Tuesday (Nov 10)
He expects a tough fight against incumbent Adly Zahari, who is seeking a third term for Pakatan Harapan in a four-cornered contest. Also in the race are Parti Bersama Malaysia’s Dr Aliza Che Amran and independent candidate Abu Bakar Sabudin.
Adly first won Bukit Katil in 2018 and retained it in the 2021 state election.
Ridzuan said Perikatan and Barisan Nasional campaign workers had been canvassing together from morning until late at night.
One task, he said, was to explain to long-time Barisan supporters, who are used to voting for the scales symbol, that he would appear on the ballot paper under Perikatan’s logo.
Ridzuan’s last post in the civil service was senior assistant director and chief environmental health officer at the Melaka Health Department.
He said he had also been active in non-governmental organisations since his university days.
Ridzuan noted that flash floods and poorly maintained drains were the issues voters raised most often.
If elected, he would make both a priority and work with the relevant agencies to address them.
Bukit Katil constituency was known as Bukit Baru before the Election Commission’s 2018 electoral boundary review.
PAS won its first Melaka state seat there in the 2013 general election, when Dr Md Khalid Kassim secured the seat then
Polling day for the Melaka state election is on Nov 14. -TSOL
