PADANG SERAI: While the other candidates are banking on their respective party big guns to lend support in the Padang Serai parliamentary election, Hamzah Abdul Rahman is happy campaigning on his own.
In fact, the national Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra) supreme council member, who in contesting under the Parti Pejuang Tanah Air banner, told his party leaders not to bother going to Padang Serai.
"I tell them no need to bother coming over, they had been working hard campaigning (in the 15th General Election).
"Thus I said it is wiser for them to take a break from campaigning here," Hamzah told reporters in an interview here.
Putra is a component party of the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition led by its pro-tem chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also Pejuang chairman.
However, GTA had to contest under the Pejuang banner during the GE15 after the coalition failed to get its registration approved ahead of the polls.
Hamzah, who is also the Padang Serai Putra division chief, is not bothered by Pejuang's disastrous performance in last Saturday's GE15 polls.
All 13 Pejuang parliamentary seat candidates in Kedah, including Dr Mahathir and his son, Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, who is also the party's president, lost their deposits in the polls.
"All my generals were totally defeated. I am the only one who is left in the race.
"I am just a small fry. I have nothing to worry even if I lose my deposit since all my generals lost and had their deposits burnt," he said.
Against all the odds, Hamzah still believes he stands a better chance as compared to the other candidates in the race.
"I am the only local candidate from Padang Serai. Born and raised here. The others are 'imported' candidates.
"I know the local issues here like the back of my hand and I have strong support from the electorate," he said.
Hamzah added that he has the advantage based on his position as the president of SMK Padang Serai Alumni, with many of its members as community leaders in the constituency.
Although the federal government has already been formed, Hamzah said the Padang Serai polls was still important for the constituents to choose the best candidate to represent them in Parliament.
"Padang Serai is lagging behind compared to the other parliaments in Kedah, especially drainage issues and the welfare of the agriculture community.
"Actually all these issues could have been easily resolved. InsyaAllah if I get elected, I will try my best to resolve the issues," he said.
The Padang Serai parliamentary election will see a six-cornered battle.
Hamzah is locking horns with Datuk Azman Nasrudin (Perikatan Nasional); Datuk C. Sivaraj (Barisan Nasional); Dr Mohamad Sofee Razak (Pakatan Harapan); Mohd Bakri Hashim (Warisan), and an independent candidate, Sreadnandha Rao.
The Padang Serai parliamentary seat was previously held by PH's M. Karupaiya when he secured a 8,813 vote-majority win, beating MCA candidate Datuk Dr Leong Yong Kong and Mohammad Sobri Osman from Pas in the previous general election.
Karupaiya, 69, was nominated again by PH on Nov 5 to defend the seat. However, he died on Nov 16, two days after being admitted to Kulim Hospital due to a heart attack while campaigning.
Following his death, the Election Commission decided to postpone the Padang Serai polls to Dec 7.
Padang Serai has 133,767 eligible voters, with 81,230 of the voters in Lunas state constituency while the remaining 52,546 voters in Merbau Pulas constituency.