The 'Not So Grand Dame Of KT'

Remember the old lady Maimunah Yusof?

To day she hits the headline again. For the upcoming Kuala Trengganu By-Election nomination day next week, some midstream reporters had been trailing Maimunah Yusof the independent candidate last March General Election for Kuala Trengganu Parliment weather she would be fielding herself as independence again. Clever and cheeky she handles the press like a pro. However she breathes out her personal experiences 'of being broke' a good election 'human story' for the press.

She lamented of not having the fund to participate on the forthcoming by-election. However she promised ‘God willing’ she would do it the next time again.

I feel sorry for the old lady. For an aged person like her, the next time again would be too late for Maimunah Yusof.

Here was a woman who braved the odds. Fielded herself as an independence candidate for the March 08 - the 12th Malaysian General Election against the might of BN and PKR candidates and election machineries. She was a lone campainger making her rounds cycling from dawn to dust meeting constituen.

Maimunah Yusof aged 89 the oldest candidate ever to participate in Malaysia’s General Election. She was a loaner and an odd figure against the manifold of mainstream political parties’ mammoth rallies. She hardly has the mean or capability to outline her election manifesto, nor do understand what a manifesto meant for her electorates. She just cycled around from dawn to dust, urging people to vote for her. Some promised out of sympathy, while others abhor her madness. She garned 685 votes and subsequently lost her ‘deposit’. The General Election made her RM10,000.00 poorer.

As was reported, her lone crusade had the sympathy of some caring Malaysians. A blog was set up to help her through the elections as well soliciting donations. I remember a known artists (Wong Seng Tong's AN ELDERLY LADY') painted her portrait holding a Maybank Cheque of RM10,000.00, with a promised the sale proceed would be channel to help her settled her debts. The painting was exhibited at one of the up market art gallery in Kuala Lumpur.

And again, as reported in the press the Blog set for her had collected donations from well wishers to the amount around RM160,000.00. However she claimed of not receiving a single cent from the blog operators, and subsequently made a police report ‘to clear her name.’

We hope the authorities would act fast. Those culprits be apprehended and the law should take its course.

Tuk Mon as she is fondly known contested in the last General Election on the believe that her voice be heard. She believed in the democratic process and good governance of her country. Like others, she wanted to play her part as a responsible citizen, though in doing so she was made a laughing stock, label as ‘a mad old lady’ and broke.

Only her crusades make someone richer by the thousands.