Environmental health scientist vying for Bangi seat, hopes to change the political scene

SHAH ALAM - Independent candidate Dr Jamal Hisham Hashim, who is also an environmental health scientist, is vying for the Bangi Parliamentary seat in the 15th General Election (GE15).

The honorary professor at Universiti Selangor (UniSel) said he has always been interested in politics and believed that he could contribute towards the country’s political landscape.

“Why did I enter politics? I have always been interested in politics even when I was in academics.

“Now that I have more time to look at the situation of the nation, I feel like I can contribute towards the political scenario in the country so I decided to run as an independent candidate,” he said in Sinar Daily’s Politically Frank episode.

Jamal added that although it is going to be a tough eight-cornered fight, it has enabled a new sentiment as there were three independent candidates competing for the same seat.

This, he said, reflects a new kind of inspiration in the country’s political scene.

“I thought I would be the only one running as an independent so that shows a new kind of sentiment that is going on, there are a lot of people that are trying to bring something new,” he added.

He added that if the independent candidates were trying to maintain status quo, they would have just run as a political party’s candidate.

He said that the independent candidates continue to take risk despite not having enough resources.

“I learned that there are many, many independent candidates throughout the country so this reflects some kind of new inspiration.

“I'm sure that these independent candidates are not well equipped in terms of resources and yet they still take the risks running as an independent candidate,” he said.

Jamal hoped that the public would at least listen to what the independent candidates have to say, what they want to offer and take them seriously for the GE15.

The other seven vying for the Bangi parliamentary seat are two other independent candidates Suthan Mookaiah and Muhammad Fauzi Hasim - both businessmen; as well as Datuk Hoh Hee Lee fro BN-MCA, Shahredzan Johan from PH-DAP, Muhammad Nazrul Md Nazir from PN-Pas, Annuar Salleh from Pan-Malaysian Islamic Front (Berjasa) which comes under the Gerakan Tanah Air coalition or Pejuang ticket and Chee Chee Meng from Parti Rakyat Malaysia.