BUKIT GELUGOR It’s strange but true. With the Bukit Gelugor by-election campaign entering it's fifth day, two independent candidates are taking take their struggles outside the constituency.

Today, lawyer Abu Backer Sidek Mohd Zan ( right ), who is campaigning with the grazing horse logo, said he would be in Kuala Lumpur to meet with the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) officers on the problems faced by more than 50 taxi drivers from Bukit Gelugor.

"SPAD is running away from the Penang taxi problems. It refuses to answer calls, dishonours appointments made and avoids me, saying there are no authoritative persons or officers to answer my questions," he said.

Yesterday, Abu Backer got into a small tiff with the Air Itam assemblyperson Wong Hon Wai when he showed up at the state government office in Komtar and demanded to see Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

"Are you chasing me out? I am here to solve problems forwarded to me. I want to see Yang Berhormat Lim Guan Eng now!" Abu Backer screamed, adding that he had complaints from Bukit Gelugor voters residents who will be voting in the May 25 by-election.

Wong ( left ), who is also Lim's political secretary, retorted by asking Abu Backer to campaign in the constituency instead of trying to gain "cheap publicity" at the third floor of Komtar, where the state government offices are located.

Abu Backer had been operating from the Traders Hotel in the heart of the city, where he has been staying since nomination day on Monday.

Instead of daily walkabouts in markets and residential areas, as is common in election campaigns, he met taxi with drivers on Jalan Penang, wished people ‘Happy Wesak Day’ on Jalan Kampar and also visited his former teachers at the Methodist Boys Secondary School on Jalan Air Itam.

"I wanted to wish them Happy Teachers Day. Without them, I would not be who I am today," he said.

Reporters have been asking Abu Backer, via a WhatsApp group he set up for the media, about his schedule in Bukit Gelugor, but have yet to get a satisfactory reply.

A briefing on hudud at the Esplanade

"Tonight, God willing, I will be doing solat hajat and doa selamat at all mosques under the Bukit Gelugor cconstituency," was his reply.

Meanwhile, the other independent candidate, Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Nabi Sathar, said he planned to hold a briefing on hudud at the Speaker's Square in Esplanade.

Nabi Bux plans to invite Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria, Kelantan Deputy MB Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah and PAS deputy spiritual leader Haron Din as speakers for the briefing.

He has yet to set the date, but hopes Lim would also attend the session to learn about hudud.

Asked why he wants to hold the event in the Tanjong parliamentary constituency and not in Bukit Gelugor, Nabi Bux said he was not familiar with Penang.

"Anyway, I will ask my assistant to do the arrangement (change venue)," he said.

Asked how he planned to serve his constituents if he did not know Bukit Gelugor, Nabi Bux said "If I win, of course I will stay in Penang".

At a press conference yesterday, Nabi Bux, whose campaign team is "Hudud in Penang 2020" also revealed his manifesto - which made no mention of hudud.

Asked about this, he answered: "That is because we only want it implemented in 2020."

Banners of Nabi Bux him with the slogan ‘Hudud in Penang 2020', alongside the state government crest, are seen everywhere in Bukit Gelugor.

Asked if he had obtained permission to use the Penang government crest on his banners, Nabi Bux shot back: "If we don't have the permission, how can we use it?"

Abu Backer Sidek and Nabi Bux are in a four-corner fight with DAP's Ramkarpal Singh and Parti Cinta Malaysia's Huan Cheng Guan.