Maimun Yusuf, the oldest candidate in the 2008 general election, is still toying with the idea of contesting in the looming general election provided she can find a proposer and a seconder.

Better known as Tok Mun, she made headlines because of her sheer grit for going against the odds as an independent candidate in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat.

Maimun, now 93, lost her election deposit of RM10,000 which she paid from her Tabung Haji savings by not getting the minimum of votes which is eight percent of total votes cast.

“If I win, I will take care of the people who support me. I will provide homes to the poor.

“However, I may not be able to contest again due to financial constraints. Furthermore, nobody wants to be my proposer and my seconder,” she told Bernama when met at her dilapidated home in Jalan Panji Alam in Kuala Terengganu.

Maimun, who used to be a cloth trader, felt that her chances of winning was very slim due to the growing support for the Barisan Nasional (BN).

For her age, Maimun, who lives with several grandchildren, looks healthy and has no hearing or vision problems.  

Maimun lost in a three-cornered fight against BN’s Razali Ismail (who has since passed away) and PAS’ Mohamad Sabu for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat.

She garnered only 685 votes against Razali (33,562 votes) and Mohamad Sabu (31,934).

Maimun made futile attempts in four general elections before that, but her nominations were rejected by the Election Commission for she did not meet the conditions stipulated.

- Bernama