BUKIT MERTAJAM: Perikatan Nasional’s candidate for Bukit Mertajam parliamentary seat Steven Koh Tien Yew, who calls himself a supporter of PAS, is the Islamist party’s only ethnic Chinese candidate in the country.

Buit Mertajam has traditionally been a battleground between BN and DAP, and Steven Koh’s appearance there, running on a PAS ticket, comes as something very unusual in this predominantly Chinese constituency.

Koh told Sin Chew Daily he had no intention of running in the election initially, until PAS decided to delegate the seat to him on October 31.

He said PAS was offering an alternative channel for the underprivileged community who had been deprived of appropriate assistance since the beginning.

The 41-year-old said although he was himself a Buddhist, it shouldn’t be an issue for him to contest on a PAS ticket. He believed Malaysians from different cultural backgrounds can amalgamate into a political party, arguing that the negative public perception of PAS had been a product of allegations by “brainwashed” people.

He said he would do his best to fight this election war and would not be preoccupied by whether he would win or lose in the election.

“I started campaigning in the rural areas since nomination before moving into urban areas.”

He said he would prioritize young voters, as they are the future of this country.

He urged young Malaysians to come out and vote and decide the future of this country.