JOHOR BARU: From frying kuey teow and belting out karaoke tunes to delivering food on a motorcycle, Johor election candidates are finding creative ways to connect with voters beyond the usual ceramah and walkabouts.
Barisan Nasional’s Larkin candidate Mohd Hairi Mad Shah said he fried char kuey teow in a large wok in Bandar Baru Uda, stirred durian bubur kacang with residents of Larkin Flats and made anchovy fritters at the Jalan Datin Halimah market during his campaign trail.
“Cooking with the community helps strengthen our relationships and fosters community spirit with the voters,” he said in an interview.
The incumbent Larkin assemblyman and caretaker state youth, sports, entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman said such activities also allowed him to pick up cooking tips from residents.
“I enjoy cooking at home whenever I have the time. I like making Singapore-style fried bee hoon and asam pedas is my favourite dish to cook because it is Johor’s signature food,” he added.
For Pakatan Harapan’s Johor Jaya candidate Lee Wern Yiing, she decided to sing “Original Sabahan”, a song by Atmosfera band, in a tent during a ceramah at Flat Masai Utama.
“Many of those attending were Sabahans who had settled in Johor for work, making the song a meaningful way to connect with the audience,” said the first-time candidate.
Her rival for Johor Jaya, Chan San San from Barisan, opted for practical campaign merchandise instead of the usual flyers.
Together with her campaign team, she prepared boxes of tissues, umbrellas and reusable water bottles printed with her face and campaign slogan for distribution during walkabouts and night market visits.
“When it comes to campaign materials, my main consideration was practicality. People use tissues, water bottles and umbrellas every day, whether at coffee shops, hawker centres or restaurants.
“Once they bring them home, they can continue seeing the campaign message, making them more effective than ordinary flyers,” Chan said.
In Bukit Permai, Barisan candidate Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor surprised voters when he showed up on a motorcycle at their home in Kulai with their online food order.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, the incumbent Bukit Permai assemblyman even spoke to the family in Mandarin and sang a birthday song as it appeared to be the birthday of one of the recipients.
“I wanted to try my hand at being a food delivery rider for a day to understand the struggles of p-hailing riders.
“It really is not easy being on the road under the heat and rain,” he said, adding that he also engaged with about 50 riders to listen to their issues.
At the Panti state seat, Perikatan Nasional candidate Mohamad Alias Rasman has been attracting attention with a series of eye-catching campaign buntings.
The 35-year-old lawyer introduced himself through short descriptions such as “Cikgu Leha’s student”, “Wak Nin’s grandson” and “Tun Habab alumnus”, referring to people and places familiar to the local community, including SMK Tun Habab in Kota Tinggi.
He said the idea stemmed from a marketing strategy that emphasises psychology, making it easier for people to remember someone through brief but repeated pieces of information.
“If we put everything on one bunting, motorists may not have enough time to read it.
“That is why I split the information across several buntings so people can read them one by one,” he said, adding that the strategy appeared to be working.
“Many people already recognise me when I meet them during campaigning.
“Some greet me as the Tun Habab alumnus, while others even recognise my wife. It shows that visual cues can help build voters’ memory,” he added.
For the latest updates on the 16th Johor state election,visit https://elections.thestar.com.my/
