KUANTAN: Independent candidate Joseph Tang is the extreme underdog in a crowded race for the Beserah state seat.
Tang, 45, admitted that he just started campaigning after a week into the 15th General Election's campaign period.
"I just collected my flyers and went for a walkabout today," he said with a chuckle when contacted.
The petrol station owner is in a five-way tussle with Pakatan Harapan's Zulkifli Mohamed, Barisan Nasional's Datuk Mustaffar Kamal Ab Hamid, Perikatan Nasional's Andansura Rabu and Pejuang's Mohd Fauzi Taib.
Andansura, from PAS, is the incumbent Beserah assemblyman.
When asked what drove him to contest for the state seat, Tang said he wanted to uplift the Chinese community whom he felt had been neglected by previous Beserah assemblymen.
According to his manifesto, Tang planned to develop Pantai Beserah as an international tourist destination besides turning Beserah into a duty-free zone for tourists.
He also wanted to work with educators and schools to develop digital schools that would become the model for education in Pahang.
Besides that, Tang wished to turn the Air Putih area into a food court and to promote the cuisine of the three main races.
Beserah is a Malay-majority constituency but Tang said he felt good about his chances since there were so many contenders in the running.
"Malays make up about 75% of the voters here while the Chinese are about 19% and the rest are Indians and other races.
"Since there are so many other candidates, I feel there is a good chance there will be a vote split and I will get the advantage," said the father of two.
Tang said if elected, he would remain Independent and would not support any political party.
When asked why he chose the key as his logo, Tang said it was a symbol of "opening the door to the future."
Beserah is a constituency of 59,370 voters.
