Syed Abdul Razak Syed Long Alsagoff caught the eye of many with his yellow rubber boots, ala Singapore sitcom character Phua Chu Kang, when he submitted his name as a candidate for the Sungai Buloh parliamentary seat.
The 62-year-old will run as an independent, using the glasses symbol. Syed Abdul Razak is a trader and director of two companies.
There are six other candidates for the seat – Khairy Jamaluddin (Barisan Nasional), Datuk R. Ramanan (Pakatan Harapan), Mohd Ghazali Md Hamin (Perikatan Nasional), Mohd Akmal Mohd Yusof (Gerakan Tanah Air), Ahmad Jufliz Faiza (Parti Rakyat Malaysia) and another independent, Nurhaslinda Basri.
“Although there are six other candidates, I do not fear the others. In the end, it will be me versus KJ (Khairy) for the seat,” said a confident Syed Abdul Razak at Dewan Kenanga, Petaling Land and District Office in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“I do not need to mention who my supporters are. Look around, and you will know why I am confident. This is my hometown.
“I am determined to create history as the first independent candidate to win an election after the dreaded Sheraton Move (which saw the collapse of the then Pakatan Harapan government).”
Syed Abdul Razak, who speaks Cantonese and Hokkien, is no stranger to the election process. He contested the Bukit Lanjan state seat as a Gerakan candidate in the 2018 general election. He obtained 7,515 votes and lost to PKR’s Elizabeth Wong, who won with a majority of 47,748.
@twentytwo13news Syed Abdul Razak Syed Long Alsagoff will contest in Sg Buloh as an independent. He shares his views in Cantonese. #GE15 #Twentytwo13 #Twentytwo13news
Asked why he wore the yellow boots, Syed Abdul Razak said it was a visual gimmick, and a reminder to everyone that Malaysia’s 15th General Election will take place during the monsoon season.
“There will be floods everywhere. I hope and pray no one loses their lives this year,” said Syed Abdul Razak, a former Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) member.
“If elected, I plan to include flood mitigation measures in Kampung Kubu Gajah and address land matters in Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh.
“I also want to eliminate corrupt politicians and address the issues facing the youth today.
“Many are struggling to find jobs. I want to build resource centres to help SMEs (small and medium-enterprises).
He also plans to establish the ‘Sungai Buloh Charity Shield’ – a merit-based emergency fund – that would provide financial aid to those affected by floods, fires, or other crises.
