JOHOR BARU: With the by-election campaigning entering the cooling-off day today, candidates are doing their best to keep themselves in good health as they eye the finish line.
Since nomination day on Aug 26, their schedules had been packed with walkabouts, ceramah and other campaign activities.
Perikatan Nasional’s Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya, who is vying for the Simpang Jeram state seat, said he had been keeping a close watch on his blood pressure and sugar level throughout the campaign period.
“I always advise my patients to keep track of their ‘number’. They need to always monitor their blood pressure and sugar level. I am heeding my own advice.
“My wife, who is also a doctor, will check my blood pressure and sugar level every day. I rarely take sweet drinks but it can be difficult for me to decline offers for such drinks from those I visit during my campaign.
“That is why I have to also check my sugar level to make sure that I do not go overboard,” said Dr Mohd Mazri, who is a vascular surgeon.
He also tried to get as much sleep as he could.
“It is difficult to get a restful sleep but I try my best.
“Since I have to do a lot of walking during my campaign, I take that as part of my exercise,” he said.
Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for Simpang Jeram, Nazri Abdul Rahman said he would take a spoonful of honey daily.
“I have been taking a spoonful of honey for years as it is said to have a lot of health benefits.
“I made sure to continue the habit even during the campaign season despite the busy schedule. I also made sure to take my breakfast first thing in the morning,” he said.
As he is used to having a busy schedule, Nazri was not affected by the hectic campaign.
“I just try to get some rest whenever I have the time, to avoid feeling lethargic from the lack of sleep,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakatan’s Suhaizan Kayat, who is vying for the Pulai parliamentary seat, said he would ensure he drank a lot of plain water throughout the day as activities like meeting voters and making speeches at events and ceramah put him at risk of losing his voice.
“This practice has worked well for me even in my previous six general and state election outings.
“I am also glad that I have the ability to fall asleep easily in the car so when I am travelling from one venue to the next, I squeeze in a power nap even if it is just 10 minutes, to make up for the lack of sleep at night,” he said.
Suhaizan, who is a former Johor state assembly speaker, said that having his wife Dr Nosham Idris – a lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia – along on his campaign trail added cheer to his packed schedule.
His opponent, Zulkifli Jaafar from Perikatan, said he had been keeping a strict diet even before the campaign period began and made sure he stayed away from oily and fried food.
“I also stuck to a routine of taking my supplements and not skipping meals despite having to go from place to place to canvass for support.
“If skipping meals could not be avoided due to clashing schedules, I would make it up by snacking on some chocolates in the car to avoid going on an empty stomach,” he said.
