POKOK SENA: An hour of badminton or sepak raga keeps 42-year-old Dr Muhammad Nawar Ariffin in good form to face his hectic campaigning schedule ahead of the 14th General Election.
The Bukit Pinang state seat candidate from Barisan Nasional said since the campaign period kicked off on April 28, he made sure a slot was included for sports and games with youth in the constituency.
He has been playing badminton since his school days and had represented Universiti Malaya for the sport and participated in the World Master Series last year.
“I will make time for the sport to keep myself fit and healthy. It also brings me closer to young voters in the constituency.”
The father of five said Bukit Pinang had always been his home ground.
Born and raised in Bukit Pinang, Dr Nawar said contesting the seat was akin to strengthening his roots.
“My parents moved here in the 1960s. My siblings are here and so are the extended families from both my parents’ sides.
“This is where I went to school, climbed trees and played with friends.”
He said the campaign trail that he took reminded him of the things he used to do when he was young.
He said Bukit Pinang had interesting local fruits, such as buah goncar and buah jentik, which were abundant.
An avid learner, the former National Youth Icon said he always listened to the people and accepted criticisms.
“The interesting part about campaigning is that it reminds me of who I am and where my roots are. The people accept me because they see my sincerity.”
He said at the end of each campaign day, he would look back on what he had done and learnt to forgive others and corrected his own mistakes as a way to cleanse his mind and soul.