The 2023 State Elections (PRN) are now underway in 6 Malaysian states which didn’t dissolve their respective Legislative Assemblies (DUN) during or prior to the 15th General Election (GE15) last year.
This time around, there are a lot of new faces contesting in the elections, including some surprising names such as former Kedah squad football captain Baddrol Bakthiar.
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate for the Gurun seat, Baddrol is seeking to prove doubters wrong and show that he could be successful as a leader, both in football and in politics.
However, the Gurun PN candidate’s PRN campaign received unwanted attention recently after Baddrol showed off his inexperience in the political field by refusing to elaborate on his election manifestos when asked by reporters.
Instead, he asserted that his manifestos would be a ‘surprise’ and will only reveal them after he wins the election.
In a video by Malaysiakini and reposted on Twitter by @bumilangit, the former Kedah footballer can be heard saying,
“Yes, I have my own manifestos, but the manifestos would only happen if victory is on my side… You need to vote for me first before I can tell you… It’s a surprise. There will be a shock in Kedah.”
Jenuh lagu ni capt…. Nampak calon PN ni popular tapi takdak kualiti nak jadi pembuat dasar yang bagus.
Kita nak pilih pembuat dasar untuk wakili rakyat di Dewan Undangan Negeri, bukan kapten bola.
— aku/saya (@bumilangit) July 30, 2023
In the replies to the tweet, many were amused by Baddrol’s assertions, with some even left confused at what he was trying to say and questioned whether he know what the word manifesto means.
One reply put what Baddrol said in footballing terms to show that his statement makes no sense, saying that it’s as if a teammate asked him what his strategy is to win the match and his reply is to let him play football first as there’s a surprise.
Meanwhile, another Malaysian said that this is his first time ever seeing an election candidate hiding his promises and manifestos from the people.
So, what do you guys think of the surprise manifesto by Baddrol? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Also read: PN Supporter in Kedah Injured After a Huge Drone Crashes on Her Head During Nomination Day