CALONKINI | From remaining behind the lens to being in the headlines, Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir has never regretted his decision to resign as a news photographer and join active politics.

A proud skinhead, the 32-year-old known as "Acap" among his friends and former colleagues is equally comfortable wearing the newsboy cap or the more traditional songkok.

He told Malaysiakini in an interview that he is similarly ready to trade his well-worn jacket for a more formal suit.

“This (jacket) is a manifestation of my identity,” said Ashraf when asked about the “skinhead” patch on his right arm, a Malaysian flag on his left arm, and various punk-inspired pins that also adorned the jacket’s front.

"When I was younger - and I think all of us would have gone through this phase of searching for our identity - it came to a point where I found and identified with the skinhead identity. I felt it best relates to my working-class roots," he recalled.

More than that, Ashraf said he had been enamoured with the Nazi Punk subculture, translated into the local scene as a manifestation of Malay supremacy.

"But as time goes by, we learn about the reality of life. Now I choose the path of a skinhead against racial prejudice...