'Saya sayang isteri saya': Akmal's older brother woos Bemban voters with unique banners

MALACCA POLLS | Dr Solehin Saleh, the older brother of Umno Youth firebrand chief Dr Akmal Saleh, is blazing his own trail for Bersama in the Malacca state election, as campaigning enters its final hours.

Contesting the state seat of Bemban, Solehin, 40, has livened up his campaign by hanging unique posters or banners around the constituency.

Among the banners that have drawn attention is one with the phrase "Saya sayang isteri saya" (I love my wife).

There is also a banner showing him wearing a baju Melayu and holding a bouquet of flowers.

The banner reads: "This is a campaign poster, not a matchmaking ad, okay."

His wife, Nurul Hidayah Abdullah, captured the essence of his campaign with a post on Threads, calling on voters to take a chance on Solehin.

"My husband's campaign posters for the Malacca state election are something else. People of Bemban, don't be shy to vote for number 2," she said in a recent post.

A Malaysiakini check around the area found many of these posters and banners hung up, competing with the campaign materials of other candidates.

Impressing the youth

Solehin has also moved to attract young voters. For instance, a banner bearing the phrase "everyone has been young, but not everyone has been IMO!"

IMO refers to the term Immortal, which usually refers to the tier or title of a player who reaches a very high standing in the ranked mode of the game Mobile Legends (MLBB).

Specifically, Mythical Immortal is the highest rank in the MLBB ranking system.

In addition, campaign materials from the owner of four medical clinics displaying weight-loss offers and cheap ambulance services were also erected.

In tomorrow's four-cornered clash, Solehin will square up against Bemban's incumbent Dr Yadzil Yaakub from Wawasan Negara; Bersatu candidate Rabaie Ab Hamid and Independent candidate Abdul Halim Said.

The Bemban state constituency has 26,381 voters, with 62.75 percent Malay voters, 19.61 percent Chinese, 16.76 percent Indian, and 0.9 percent others.

In the 2021 state election, Yadzil, who represented Bersatu at the time, won with a slim majority of 328 votes, defeating the BN candidate.

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