Indie Candidate Hopes To Provide Alternative In Dap Stronghold Seputeh

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The Seputeh parliamentary seat - one of DAP’s strongholds in the capital city - might see an independent candidate in the upcoming 15th general election, local Lee Wai Hong.
The former Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth chief announced on social media yesterday that he will contest in his hometown Seputeh, right after the Parliament was dissolved.
Lee, 42, is hoping to be an alternative for those who have lost their confidence in political parties after the Sheraton Move political coup in 2020.
“There were only a few voters who came out to vote during those state elections after the Sheraton Move. But I hope Seputeh voters will not give up their right to vote.”
Seputeh has always been a battlefield for DAP and MCA. Five-term MP Teresa Kok won the seat in 1999 with 5,200 majority votes, and the figure increased to 56,059 in 2018.
Seputeh MP Teresa Kok“If you’re a DAP supporter, you could continue to vote for Kok.
“But if you’re not going to vote since both political parties are not your choice, I hope I can be the alternative,” said Lee (above) when contacted by Malaysiakini.
‘My boss is the people’
When asked if political parties are not his ideal platform, Lee stressed that his intention is only to serve his hometown.
“Seputeh is a DAP stronghold, but the party seems to lack the machinery to train new people who can contribute to their community, or the machinery is simply incomplete.
“Besides, not everyone who wants to join politics agrees with DAP’s values.
“For example, if I’m keener with Muda’s values, it's impossible for Muda to field me as a candidate to fight against DAP,” he said.
While party politics does play a role, Lee added that one would need to strive in the party and get the blessing from party leadership to stand a chance to be a candidate.
Sometimes it’s hard to put the voters’ interest as a priority under this circumstance, said Lee.
“So, I’m running as an independent candidate. I don't have to answer to any political party. My ‘boss’ is the people I serve," he added.
He also hoped his candidacy could push other candidates in Seputeh to present their plans for local issues such as traffic, ageing population, over-development, and poverty.
Active in civil society
Lee is a website engineer who is active in civil society in the Klang Valley area, especially in the Chinese community.
In April, he organised screenings of a documentary on the Hong Kong protests, ‘Revolution of Our Times’. The film was not shown in cinemas but private screenings were held in Selangor, Penang, Perak, Sarawak, and Johor.
He was summoned by the police who questioned his motives for screening a film that has been banned in China and Hong Kong.
Lee also tried to arrange for another film, ‘May You Stay Forever Young’, to be screened in Malaysia.
However, the film was banned by the Malaysian authorities for allegedly glorifying violent protests and for its potential to affect Malaysia-China bilateral relations. - Mkini

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