Kuan Chee Heng, also known as “Uncle Kentang” or “10-sen man”, told FMT he is contesting the election to give the poor and sick a voice in society.

“I am not joining politics to be a politician. I am standing as an independent candidate to make the rakyat’s lives better,” he said.

He said Malaysians are generally disappointed with Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan for not fulfilling their promises. Those who voted for them got “nothing in the end”.

Kuan, who is also the president of an NGO called the Malaysian Society of Community (CP), lamented that politicians, after getting elected, drive better cars but “the poor remain poor”.

He added he is not fighting in the election to “play politics” but to provide facilities, such as the 10-sen taxi, hearse and ambulance, for the poor who live far from government hospitals.

Kuan founded CP Malaysia in 2007 and the association now has more than 100,000 members nationwide.

CP Malaysia also runs a shelter at RM1 for the poor who travel from outstation to receive treatment at the government hospitals.

A 10-sen library is another initiative that Kuan’s NGO undertook for children from underprivileged families.

“Any aspiring candidate in Semenyih should offer the same services that I offer, if not better, to contest,” he said.

The Semenyih state seat fell vacant following the death of its incumbent assemblyman, Bakhtiar Mohd Nor, on Jan 11 from a heart attack. He was 57.

In the 14th general election, Bakhtiar defeated BN, PAS and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in a four-cornered fight, with a majority of 8,964 votes. He garnered 23,428 votes.