MELAKA: The culture of spearheading Malaysian values is a factor that Datuk Mohd Ridhwan Mohd Ali believes that made him an eleventh-hour candidate for Hang Tuah Jaya parliamentary constituency.
The 36-year-old was told by the Barisan Nasional leadership that he was selected to contest in the 15th General Election (GE15) an hour before the official announcement of candidates in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday (Nov 1).
"I strongly believe that evaluation was made by the leadership based on my report card in serving the grassroots for the past few years.
“Probably, the leadership took into account the dozens of social events that I have organised including at temples before granting me the candidacy," he said in an interview here on Wednesday (Nov 2).
Mohd Ridhwan said he had always emphasised organising events to cover all races in the constituency.
"Initially, as Hang Tuah Jaya Barisan's chief, I had the impression that I would be at the top of the list of candidates for the parliamentary seat in GE15.
"However, I got the impression that the leadership had chosen another candidate until I got the news on Tuesday evening," he said.
Mohd Ridhwan said he always reminded his team to serve all races in the constituency when they started their social projects.
"We can longer ignore the fact that we are living in a multiracial society.
"I hate those who continue to have a racist mind in a plural society," he added.
Mohd Ridhwan will be contesting against PKR Youth chief Adam Adli Abd Halim and Perikatan Nasional's Mohd Azirul Md Idris.
