Bersama has introduced a new campaign initiative called “Invite A Candidate”, allowing voters to invite election candidates directly to their homes or community venues for dialogue and question-and-answer sessions.
Bersama leader Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli said the initiative is aimed at transforming Malaysia’s political campaign culture by reducing reliance on large-scale, costly events and encouraging more direct engagement between candidates and voters.
He said candidates seeking the public’s mandate should be willing to accept invitations from voters instead of expecting people to attend party-organised functions.
“In more than 20 years of campaigning, I have never seen this approach being implemented. We want to change the way campaigns are conducted. Candidates are the ones asking for votes, so let the people invite them to be assessed and questioned,” he told a press conference at Taman Sri Tebrau on Tuesday.
Rafizi said the initiative would also help reduce campaign expenses while encouraging candidates to spend more time meeting local communities and understanding their concerns.
He added that Bersama wants to discourage candidates from disappearing after winning elections.
“We don’t want candidates who are everywhere during the campaign, shaking everyone’s hand, only to vanish after they are elected,” he said.
The initiative is open to all groups, including residents’ associations, community organisations, local committees, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and even small groups of neighbours who wish to get to know the candidates personally.
To participate, voters can visit layaribersama.org, select the profile of their preferred Johor state election candidate and click the “Invite This Candidate” button before submitting their name, contact number, email address and preferred meeting location.
Rafizi said even small neighbourhood groups comprising just four or five households are welcome to invite candidates to their homes or community premises for informal discussions and question-and-answer sessions ahead of the Johor state election.
