Hii Tiong Huat
SIBU: Independent candidate for Bukit Assek, Hii Tiong Huat, known for his comical act to attract media limelight, kicked off his ceramah on Sunday night in a one-man show.
The 60-year-old man just drove his car up to the front of a coffee shop in Pahlawan commercial centre, erected a small platform and spoke to the crowd.
He then sang hymns to entertain the crowd and turned a hymn into his election song.
He did not have music to accompany his songs, though, for which he apologised repeatedly, saying his karaoke set would not work due to technical problems.
Wearing his trademark yellow-and-blue shirt with his name in large prints, Hii amused a crowd of nearly 100 in the drizzle.
An accountant Nick Wong said he was drawn by curiosity when he saw Hii’s notice in the newspaper on his ceramah.
Wong said when he arrived there on Saturday night about 30 people were standing in front of Hii’s platform listening to him.
The rest were in a coffee shop and on the five-foot way.
Despite the small crowd, Hii was not demoralised and started talking about his lone adventure in politics.
He said he got involved in politics because he saw people who needed help, adding he could not just sit there and watch the happenings.
Hii also said he had been travelling around to speak out for justice, in towns from Kuching to Bintulu on his own expenses, and that where ever he went he attracted media attention.
In his ceramah on Saturday, Hii touched on a few community and social issues from floods to security and asked the crowd not to applaud, to which they obliged.
He ended his session at 10.30pm, saying he would be back at the same spot for more ceramahs.
Nick Wong said the crowd did not jeer nor poke fun while he was talking.
Some even donated cash for his election expenses.
Hii is involved in a three cornered fight in Bukit Assek with DAP’s Wong Ho Leng and SUPP’s Chieng Buong Toon.
Public members have been guessing how many votes he will get on polling day.
Some guess he will not get more than 200 votes, but it is interesting to see if he will split opposition votes.
He chose fish for his election logo, which attracted chuckles from pressmen in the nomination centre.
Hii has got into trouble with the law for which he was arrested a few times.
While in the police cell, he would sing hymns aloud.
He first landed in trouble in 2008 when an officer from Sibu Municipal Council lodged a report against him for removing two Airport road signs.
The following year, he was remanded for obstructing traffic near Sibu Gateway as he called on owners to stop their cars to read his banner.
He also sat on his van. When the police asked him to leave, he created a scene.
At other times, Hii has been in the limelight for his string of annoying stunts like slipping into manholes and getting reporters to snap his act.
On the eve of nomination day, he told reporters he could get up to 60 per cent of the votes in Bukit Assek.