KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Chua Tian Chang, one of several independent candidates vying for the Batu seat, released a manifesto this evening pledging among others to resolve local issues and fight for better social security.
The release of the document comes at a rather odd time — with just three days of campaigning left before polling on Saturday.
Chua, or more commonly referred to as Tian Chua, said the manifesto will outline the issues he would prioritise if elected as Batu MP, a constituency he served for three terms since 2008.
“Surely this is not a comprehensive document, this is not an encyclopedia that would resolve all problems faced by (Batu) residents,” he told a press conference here.
“But it provides a framework as to how I will manage my work with transparency and openness,” he added.
The three main thrusts of his manifesto are championing climate policies, promoting good governance and fighting for local council elections.
Chua was forced to stay out of the race in 2013 because of an election law that bans someone from standing if he or she had been convicted.
The former PKR leader, sacked for going against the party’s choice P Prabakaran, was found guilty of obstructing a public officer from executing his duties just two months before the May 2018 general election.
It is unclear how Chua plans to fulfil his pledges. Malaysian voters have been found to be generally distrustful of independent candidates in the past and tend to vote based on party affiliations, which is seen to be more pragmatic.
Unless independents form a large bloc in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, an independent MP will have little leverage to influence policy decisions.
Chua is up against nine other contenders in Batu, the most number of candidates ever to fight for a single seat.
