MELAKA: His father lost five elections, but Muhammad Mukhlisul Mubin Julasapiyah is determined to succeed where his father could not.
The 25-year-old Amanah candidate, better known as Mukhlis Mubin, said his father, Julasapiyah Kassim, or Ustaz Julas, had inspired him to work harder to win the Kuala Linggi state seat in the Nov 14 Melaka election.
“If my father contested five times and lost all five, perhaps I need to work six or seven times harder to win the hearts of voters in Kuala Linggi,” he told reporters at a press conference here on Monday (Nov 2).
Mukhlis said he had grown up watching his father serve the community, a commitment that continued despite his unsuccessful attempts to win elected office.
“Even before I was born, my father was already contesting elections. I grew up watching him meet people and work for the community.
“I have no intention of taking revenge or settling any political scores. The most important reason I am contesting is because I want to serve the people,” he said.
He said his father remained actively involved in community work after his defeats and was now helping with his campaign.
Mukhlis, a Melaka Amanah Youth committee member and national Amanah student wing chief, said much of the criticism directed at him appeared to come from people outside Kuala Linggi, while his encounters with local voters had been encouraging.
“Most of those criticising me may not even be from Kuala Linggi. But when I go down to meet the people, my neighbours and relatives, the reception has been very good.
“People outside can criticise or attack me. That is their right. As long as the people of Kuala Linggi welcome me, that alone makes all the hard work worthwhile,” he said.
Asked whether the criticism amounted to cyberbullying, Mukhlis said he accepted public scrutiny as part of entering politics.
“Just because I am young, I cannot simply call it bullying. We chose to enter politics, so we must be prepared for criticism,” he said.
Mukhlis, who will celebrate his 25th birthday on Nov 20, also revealed that his graduation ceremony at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) would take place just two days later, on Nov 22.
On the controversy surrounding his involvement in securing a RM70,000 penalty waiver for the Melaka Barat Area Fishermen’s Association, Mukhlis acknowledged that his approach might have been overly aggressive.
“Perhaps my approach was too aggressive and I bypassed too many bureaucratic processes. I admit I am still new to national politics,” he said.
He apologised if his actions had offended certain quarters but maintained that his intervention was intended to help the financially troubled association, rather than gain political mileage ahead of the Nov 14 state election.
Mukhlis said his election manifesto would be unveiled soon, with longstanding local issues, including flooding in Kuala Linggi, among the priorities.
