“My routine has shifted. Go to bed at 2 am and get up at 4.30 am. Then ponder and prepare to visit the people and seek their votes.
“There is no longer any free time as there once was. There’s no time to pick up the kids from school… a duty which my wife is now carrying out. I’ll never forget that moment!”
This is Mohamad Shafizan Kepli’s frank confession as the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) candidate in the Batang Lupar parliamentary constituency.
For this 37-year-old young man, his life has changed overnight.
It all started last October 30, when he was contacted by the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice president Datuk Julaihi Narawi to prepare himself as a GPS candidate.
Shafizan admitted to being astonished and nervous. First and foremost, he never imagined himself as a representative of the people. Secondly, he was unexpectedly entrusted with a significant role he had never envisioned.
“I pray to God that this step I take is right and beneficial, particularly for the people of the Batang Lupar.
“I pray that I don’t go down the wrong path,” he remarked earnestly to this writer.
With an honest and sincere look on his face, Shafizan admitted that he was still in disbelief as of this day. Because of that, he said, it cost him a restful night’s sleep.
He said he took advantage of the opportunity to rest his eyes on the road while campaigning. This includes travelling to Kuching to attend party programmes.
He acknowledged that he was extremely fortunate because he worked as a supervisor at the Community Development Department (KEMAS) in the Beting Maro state constituency. He learned to be nice to people and listened to their grievances.
“That is why I do not regard this job as an unexpected burden. It’s similar to my previous post of accompanying people and listening to their complaints.
“Only this time, in addition to listening, I am taking on the responsibility of bringing their voices to the Dewan Rakyat if I win in this election,” he added gratefully, noting that his campaign has been favourably embraced by all parties thus far.
For him, all people, young and old, men and women, have the right to have their wishes respected.
He is also resolved to continue all of the development objectives set and implemented by Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, the former Member of Parliament for the constituency.
“She (Rohani) was the first person I contacted after learning of my selection. I begged her for advice on what I should do next.
“The truth is, it’s not easy to fill the ‘huge shoes’ she left behind,” remarked this humble Kampung Pusa Tengah-born.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia Bachelor of Arts graduate appears physically small from the outside. But he has a huge, strong soul.
Until he was chosen as the head of PBB Youth in the Beting Maro Branch, he was involved in and close to the community. One term later, he was appointed as the deputy head of the branch.
The father of three children was later appointed to the board of PBB Youth and Saberkas.
Through the appointments, he is better able to serve the youth in his community and learn about their goals.
“While my generation dipped in the river and played football, modern youth patterns in urban and rural areas are almost similar, including being a generation of gamers and digitalisation,” he noted.
Shafizan said it is his desire and prayer that all voters in the Batang Lupar constituency will embrace his presence and give him the opportunity to lead them.
The GPS youngest candidate in the 15th general election (GE15) stated that if he wins, it will be a shared victory.
“I request that we work together to develop this constituency, which actually has great economic potential.”
The Batang Lupar parliamentary constituency consists of three state constituencies – Sebuyau, Lingga and Beting Maro.
It has a total of 43,061 registered voters, of which 31,855 or 74 per cent are Malay/Melanau while 9,414 voters or 22 per cent are Iban.
The largest number of registered voters is actually located in Beting Maro, which has 15,311 voters compared to Lingga (13,963 voters) and Sebuyau (13,787 voters).
Shafizan is being challenged by two other candidates: Hamdan Sani (Perikatan Nasional) and Well@Maxwell Rojis (Pakatan Harapan) in this general election for which polling has been set on November 19.
Hamdan, 35, who hails from Kampung Samariang Jaya Phase II, had contested for the Petra Jaya constituency in the 2018 general election.
Outgoing Batang Lupar MP, Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, won the seat in GE14 with 14,204 votes, beating PAS candidate Wan Abdillah Wan Ahmad (3,927 votes) and PH candidate Narudin Mentali (2,020 votes).
