State polls: Never given the chance to contest, former teacher runs independently

HULU BESUT - The disappointment of not being nominated despite joining several political parties in the past has led Dr. Che Harun Kamariah to contest as an independent candidate in the upcoming Terengganu state election.

Che Harun, a former teacher, is contesting the Hulu Besut State Legislative Assembly and is the only independent candidate in Terengganu.

He said his desire to be a candidate was expressed to the leadership of the parties he had previously joined, including Pas, Umno, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), and Parti Pejuang Tanah Tanah Air (Pejuang).

"While with Pas, I once held the position of Besut Pas deputy chief post, but I was still not given the opportunity to contest as a candidate at that time.

"I then joined Umno before moving to Bersatu, and my last party was Pejuang, but none of those gave me the opportunity, even though I had expressed my intention to join them to become a candidate," he said when met by Sinar Harian in Lubuk Kawah on Sunday.

According to Che Harun, who is also an imam at a mosque, becoming a candidate has always been his dream and goal since he entered politics.

"I worked and joined parties because I wanted to become a candidate and compete in elections," he said.

On his plans if he wins the state seat, Che Harun said he wants to develop Hulu Besut and create a caring society.

He noted that the current representatives in power have failed to serve the people as a whole and are instead focusing only on specific groups.

"Regardless of the party, they prioritise their cronies over the welfare of the people as a whole," he said.

Che Harun, who is represented by a book symbol, was met at the Dewan Mercu Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Payong Nomination Centre on Saturday.

He ought to witness a three-cornered fight in the Hulu Besut.

Apart from Che Harun, the other candidates competing for the seat are Mohd Husaimi Hussin from Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Datuk Nawi Mohamad from Barisan Nasional (BN).

Nawi, who is also the Besut Umno chief, has been the Hulu Besut State Assembly representative for four terms since the 11th General Election (GE11), which PAS previously held for one term.

In the 14th General Election (GE14), Nawi won with 8,045 votes, while his opponent, Mohd Daik Mohamad from PAS, received 6,576 votes, giving Nawi a majority of 1,469 votes.