#GE15: This Independent Candidate Wants M'sians To Vote Outside Partisan Lines
Mohamed Tawfik Tun Dr Ismail claimed that the way forward is a parliament consisting of independent candidates whose interests are aligned with the people.
By Kay Ng — 17 Nov 2022, 06:11 PM
Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat independent candidate, Mohamed Tawfik Tun Dr Ismail, has called upon Malaysians to vote for independent candidates over approved party picks in the 15th General Election (GE15)
In a media release yesterday, 16 November, the GERAK Independent co-founder stated that the path toward true systemic change will coincide with the increased presence of independent candidates in parliament.
"To affect real and meaningful change, Malaysians need to cast votes outside partisan lines," he said.
Tawfik used the 14th General Election (GE14) to substantiate this claim, highlighting how it brought the fallibility of party politics to the fore.
He highlighted the political crisis that ensued after the last election due to party hopping, the subsequent collapse of two successive coalition governments, as well as the resignation of two prime ministers within the span of two years.
Independent candidate for the Bagan Datuk seat in Perak, Mohamed Tawfik Tun Dr Ismail.
Image via Free Malaysia TodayTawfik claimed that the way forward is a parliament consisting of independent candidates whose interests are aligned with the people, as opposed to toeing any party line
"If the independent candidates are given a sizable mandate enough to appoint the next prime minister, this would foster the development of a new Malaysia," he claimed, adding, "[It would create] a government which will look after the interests of the majority and the downtrodden, not just [a] few."
The son of late former deputy prime minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman acknowledged it would be a tall order, but not unfeasible, citing that a coalition of independent lawmakers would be "For the interest of all Malaysians," as well as, "A means to affect real change in this country."
This appeal comes after Tawfik's decision to run independently when he was passed over by Pakatan Harapan (PH) as the party's candidate in Bagan Datuk
On 3 November, he expressed his disappointment over PH’s decision to field Shamsul Iskandar Akin from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) as its candidate instead.
"To avoid splitting votes and ensure Zahid loses, I reached out to PH leaders to allow me to contest under the PH banner," he said. "But I did not get any response from the PH top leadership."
Tawfik said his main goal in contesting Bagan Datuk was to defeat UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, whom he described as "the embodiment of corruption"
"He represents the scourge of Malaysia, especially the way corruption has eaten away the dignity of the rakyat. I cannot stand by and let that happen," the candidate said.
He reminded voters that Zahid has 47 charges of corruption against him.
"The BN chairman revealed his main motivation for the GE15 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 stated.
The Bagan Datuk parliamentary seat will see a four-cornered fight between incumbent Zahid Hamidi for Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Muhammad Faiz Na'aman, PH's Shamsul Iskandar Akin, and Tawfik Ismail himself.
