PORT DICKSON: Lau Seck Yan (pic), 51, an independent candidate in the Port Dickson (PD) parliamentary by-election, is the only woman candidate out of the seven standing in the contest.
She told the Star that so far, voters response to her has been "very encouraging".
"They are willing to give me their support knowing I am a newbie in this arena (politics)," she said, when contacted.
"The women hope that when I am elected, there will be more welfare for the women.
"The voters are mature. They want the country to progress. And they have expressed (some) dissatisfaction with the current government," she said.
She is also concerned about voter turnout.
"Unfortunately, many do not realise they have to come out to vote. They thought that PD means only PD people.
"They are unaware that this parliament seat of PD involves Bagan Pinang, Chuah, Linggi, Lukut & Sri Tanjung," she said, referring to the five state seats within the PD parliament seat.
She said her manifesto is simple: to push for the needs of the people and the country, to move towards prosperity, progress and peace and to serve with integrity.
Among the issues she plans to highlight are the high cost of living, the lack of wealth creation in the country and poor accessiblility to health care.
She reaffirmed that no political party was backing her, nor any former politicians or NGOs.
Lau said she was running her own campaign, adding that, "So far, I've been meeting the voters along with my husband."
She is also against the principle behind PKR engineering a by-election just so that certain politicians can contest the seat.
The Star had earlier reported that as a political newcomer, she wanted to send a message to mainstream politicians that she was representing the voice of the people.
“There is no ulterior motive behind my decision to contest,” she said on nomination day (Sept 29).
Born in Seremban, Lau who is a mother of four children aged between 14 and 25, is a former lecturer of a private university in Subang Jaya and Nilai, reports Bernama.
She studied in Convent Seremban before moving to King George V school for her Form Six .
Lau obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Diploma in Education in 1989 and 1991 respectively from Universiti Malaya. She also received a Master in Business Administration from the same university in 1998.
She said apart from that, she had also held several posts including being a teacher at a school in Petaling Jaya, principal of a private secondary school and corporate affairs director of a private company in Kuala Lumpur.
She is also active in non-governmental organisations and is a volunteer at a Buddhist temple.
Lau said the PD by-election is her first election attempt and she chose a rabbit as her official symbol.
“If we look at the rabbit, it has long ears which is symbolic of listening to all the problems of the people.
"Besides the rabbit is also sincere, lovable and efficient. It appears soft but has power,” she told Bernama.
She wants voters to open their eyes and hearts when selecting a candidate who can sincerely represent them.
“I hope the voters will be wise in choosing a candidate who can listen and feel their pulse by going to the ground and not just by sending representatives. Through a representative, we sometimes cannot get a complete picture of a problem,” she said.
Lau said she was offering herself as a "mother" to PD parliamentary constituents and would meet as many voters as possible, apart from campaigning via social media.
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