After losing in PD, independents’ coach tries luck up north 4 years later

 

Myocho Kan (second from left) canvassing for votes at the Bayan Baru market recently.

GEORGE TOWN: Bayan Baru’s independent candidate Kan Chee Yuen’s political idol was the late Karpal Singh yet he has never thought of joining the former DAP chairman’s party.

Kan, 49, better known as Myocho, said he was against joining political parties because one would have to toe the party line and be restrained in what one could say.

“An independent candidate is the choice for the people who are fed up with politics. Then, you can say whatever is on your mind without fear of repercussions.

“Unless you are still stuck in the political mindset and brainwashing that have been happening for the past 65 years and probably for another 65 years if you have the secret to immortality, I rest my case,” the professional coach and trainer said.

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Myocho said he formed an outfit called MY Kita in 2019 to incubate new independent candidates. One success story is former Batu MP P Prabakaran whom he trained for three weeks before the 2018 general election.

“When (Prabakaran’s predecessor) Tian Chua endorsed him eventually, I bowed out. You can’t have two tigers on a mountain,” the Ipoh-born, Penang-bred St Xavier’s alumnus said.

In his quest for the Bayan Baru seat, Myocho said he hoped to ease the traffic jams in the constituency stretching from Universiti Sains Malaysia to the second Penang bridge.

“I also want to open the books and see how government aid is spent and if affordable homes are reaching those who really need them.

“The former MP keeps harping about what he has done when it appears what he was doing was mere administrative stuff albeit with better pay,” he said.

Myocho is best known for his attempt for the Port Dickson seat in 2018, which PKR president Anwar Ibrahim won in a seven-cornered fight.

Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional’s Saw Yee Fung, 33, is keen on presenting a fresh youthful face for a “Bayan Baru, Baru” (new Bayan Baru).

Saw Yee Fung.

She said the township was afflicted by poor planning and overdevelopment, which needed urgent intervention.

“I’ve been getting good support from the ground in the past week and people have warmed up to BN a fair bit. They have spoken to me about a lot of issues that have been overlooked by the government. I can’t wait to help,” she said.

PKR’s Sim Tze Tzin, who won with a majority of 37,751 votes in 2018, is defending Bayan Baru. Apart from Myocho, Saw and Sim, others in the fray are Perikatan Nasional’s Oh Tong Keong, Warisan’s Jeff Ooi and Parti Rakyat Malaysia’s Ravinder Singh.

There are 119,640 voters in the constituency, with a majority of them being Chinese at 47.7%, Malays (38.8%), Indians (12%) and others at 1.2%. - FMT