KOTA BHARU: Chua Hock Kuan may be Barisan Nasional’s sole MCA candidate in the whole of Kelantan for the 14th General Election, but it hasn’t fazed him one bit.
Instead, Chua, who will be battling for the Kota Lama state seat, feels he has a distinct advantage, in that he speaks fluent Bahasa Melayu in the Kelantanese dialect.
Chua, who was born in Kota Bharu, said that as such, there are no issues with him going out to meet and engage with local voters.
“I’m fortunate in that even though I’m Chinese, I’ve always been warmly received by the people of Kota Lama each time I visit the area.
“There’s no awkwardness, none at all. I think the people are also amused that I actually speak Kelantanese,” said the 37-year-old.
Chua said he regarded his candidacy for the Kota Lama seat as an honour, and will make full use of the opportunity to work even harder.
Chua said he is not a new presence in Kota Lama, and has instead spent years there getting to know the people and their issues.
“As I’ve been announced as a candidate, I will go down to the ground a lot more to meet the people. The 11-day campaign period will be akin to a ‘revision session’ of sorts as I’ve already familiarised myself with all the district voting centres in the area,” he said.
Chua is expected to square off with Pas’ Datuk Anuar Tan Abdullah, as well as former Election Commission chairman, Tan Sri Ab Rashid Ab Rahman from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).
Chua is among 30 new faces for BN contesting GE14, as announced by Kelantan BN chairman, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, on Monday.