IPOH, Nov 3 — The Bagan Datuk parliamentary constituency in Perak looks set to be a four-way brawl this November 19 so far, with Tawfik Ismail today confirming his candidacy as an independent candidate.
The son of Malaysia’s former deputy prime minister the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman said he had asked the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition to let him stand under its banner to avoid splitting the votes.
“However, this proved futile as I failed to elicit any response from PH's top leadership. I was very disappointed when I learned of PH’s announcement of its PKR candidate, Shamsul Iskandar, for the Bagan Datuk.
“Hence, despite PH, Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional announcements of their respective candidates, I shall forge ahead as a candidate for the Bagan Datuk constituency,” he said in a statement.
The former MP for Sungai Benut in Johor will be challenging the incumbent Bagan Datuk MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi from Barisan Nasional, alongside two other named candidates — PH’s Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin and Perikatan Nasional’s Dr Muhammad Faiz Na’aman.
Tawfik said his sole purpose contesting the Bagan Datuk seat is to defeat Ahmad Zahid who is also BN chairman and Umno president, and whom he described as the embodiment of corruption.
He reminded Bagan Datuk voters that Ahmad Zahid has been tainted by 47 charges of corruption.
“The BN chairman revealed his main motivation for the GE15 which is to avoid jail time post elections. Not only that, he issued a veiled threat to his fellow BN leaders that they also will be charged and locked up if they don’t fight hard to win GE15.
“He represents the scourge of Malaysia, especially the way corruption has eaten away the dignity of our RAKYAT. I cannot stand by and let that happen,” Tawfik said.
He touted himself as a corruption buster.
“Malaysia urgently needs a new political landscape that is free from corruption and vested interests, where independent members of parliament can precipitate change and bring peace, progress and prosperity to the rakyat, free from unnecessary politicking and narrow party interests.
“I humbly seek the support of the constituents of Bagan Datuk. I hope they will give me an opportunity to serve them as an MP.
“Bagan Datuk deserves better representation. Indeed, Malaysia needs an MP who will fight for and defend the rights of all citizens without fear or favour, irrespective of race, religion and sex,” he said.
Tawfik was 35 when he won the Sungai Benut seat in 1986 but left Umno after the party’s crisis in 1987, when the feud between Tun Dr Mahathir and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah triggered the deregistration of Umno.
Now 71 years old, he said that contesting as an independent candidate will allow him to truly represent the people of Bagan Datuk and speak for them in Dewan Rakyat without having to toe any party line.
