PONTIAN: Big Blue Taxi founder Datuk Shamsubahrin Ismail was said to have suffered a heart attack at 1am earlier today.
This happened as he was about to leave for Johor from Kuala Lumpur to submit his name as an independent candidate for the upcoming Tanjung Piai by-election.
"I am a replacement candidate," said Faridah Aryani Abdul Ghaffar who submitted her name as a candidate for the by-election at the Dewan Jubli Intan nomination centre, here, this morning.
The 45-year-old single mother of four said she was roped in to contest at the last minute to replace Shamsubahrin.
According to her, the decision was made by Gabungan Teksi SeMalaysia (GTSM) after Shamsubahrin's heart attack.
Faridah said if she was elected, she would fight for all taxi drivers and e-hailing drivers in the country.
"Apart from that, I would like to fight for those in the B40 group who suffer from hardship.
"As a single mother, I am affected by the government's policies that are not friendly towards taxi drivers and e-hailing drivers," she said when met, here, today.
Faridah who is also a freelance auditor said she once endured hardship in life and had to earn extra money as an e-hailing driver.
GTSM president Kamarudin Mohd Hussain said Faridah was their second choice, and the decision to have her contest as an Independent was made at the last minute.
"It was a last minute decision because our main candidate was unwell," he said, clarifying Shamsubahrin's heart attack, adding that the latter was now being treated at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur.
GTSM previously announced that they would be placing a candidate in the Tanjung Piai by-election out of disappointment in the promises made by politicians to fight for them.
The Tanjung Piai by-election will take place Nov 16.