BUKIT GELUGOR Abu Backer Sidek Mohd Zan, who has become known as the most eccentric of three independent candidates in the Bukit Gelugor by-election, has pulled yet another stunt - he is withdrawing from the contest.

Despite having pulled a series of bizarre stunts during the 13-day campaigning period, a disheartened Abu Backer, on the eve of polling day, said he did not see any hope in defeating frontrunner Ramkarpal Singh from DAP.

In so doing, he has forfeited his RM15,000 deposit.

"I withdraw and will not contest because I am disappointed with the electoral system in this country," he told his supporters.

Among the crowd was another independent candidate Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Abdu Sathar. The fourth and last candidate in the by-election is Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Huan Cheng Guan.

Abu Backer claimed he was informed by "highly-placed" sources that BN was giving way to DAP in this by-election to repay the opposition for not contesting against current Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in 1976.

"When Najib contested Pekan, all (opposition) parties gave him a walkover so now Najib wants to repay Karpal, who was also a big leader," he claimed.

Like Ramkarpal, who is seeking to replace his father Karpal Singh who was killed in a car accident last month, Najib had in 1976 contested in Pekan to replace his father Abdul Razak Hussein, then prime minister, after he died of leukemia.

"Without BN contesting, the Election Commission does not care (about this by-election)," he said.

Supporters to follow him to Langkawi

However, Abu Backer still appeared cheerful when he threw his supporters a final dinner.

"I will not be here tomorrow, all my supporters will follow me to Langkawi," said the maverick lawyer, just hours before campaigning come to a close at midnight.

On Tuesday, Abu Backer threw himself at Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s vehicle after failing to secure a meeting with the DAP leader.

The landed him in hospital for three days and when he re-emerged , Abu Backer rented a horse and a caravan before resuming the campaign trail.

Prior to that, a teary Abu Backer had lamented the lack of publicity from the media, but was quick to add that he did not care as he had global news network CNN on his side.