Independent candidate Faridah just getting started

PONTIAN: Independent candidate Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghafar (pic) will be just starting her campaign after a week has gone by in the Tanjung Piai by-election.

The 43-year-old said the lack of funds and manpower to run her campaign machinery were big problems.

“I take it as a blessing as I will be more focused in the last week of campaigning before polling day, ” she said in a press conference here yesterday.

Faridah, a single mother of four, said her candidacy as

an Independent was a bid to strengthen the B40 group, which represented about 70% of the voters within Tanjung Piai.

She stressed that she wanted to create opportunities to help those within that income group.

“I do not have any manifesto. Neither do I have enough money. However, I do have the support from several non-governmental organisations. We do hold campaigning programmes, but in a limited and ad-hoc basis, ” she added.

She stressed her target was not to lose the RM10,000 deposit.

“I am confident that I will be able to cover all grounds in the constituency even though I have limited time to do it, ” she said adding that she would be using the car symbol in the by-election.

Besides Faridah, the other independent candidate is Dr Ang Chuan Lock, who is using the key symbol in the Tanjung Piai by-election.

They are in a six-cornered fight between Pakatan Harapan Karmaine Sardini, Barisan Nasional Datuk Seri Dr Wee

Jeck Seng, Gerakan’s Wendy Subramaniam and Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia’s (Berjasa) Datuk Dr Badhrulhisham Abdul Aziz.