PEKAN: Barisan Nasional's Mohd Sharim Md Zain is slowly getting a grasp on becoming a by-election candidate.
The 41-year-old described campaigning for the Chini state seat by-election had been a totally new experience and he had to learn the ropes fast.
"It is my first time contesting and I have to be mentally, and physically prepared. As a new face, it has been quite a challenge and on the second day of campaign, I only had one hour of sleep....even when you want to rest, your brain is still busy thinking about the ongoing campaign.
"My thoughts will be on the ground works. Have I done enough during my visits and areas which I have covered and will cover?
"Time seems to have passed quickly, and I have another nine days before polling day," he said when met during his visit to the Felda Chini 4 Pas operations centre here today.
The Pekan Umno committee member and Majlis Belia Felda Wilayah Kuantan chairman said he took some supplements and consumed a lot of water to remain energetic during his campaign rounds.
"I am trying to cover as much ground as possible during my campaign and need some supplements to ensure I am in good health. Besides my family members, my (campaign) team has been advising me to ensure I do not skip meals and find time for a quick rest between campaigns.
"The Barisan Nasional election machinery and Muafakat Nasional team have been going the extra mile to assist me during my campaign, and they have been providing a lot of advice which I believe will be useful for a newcomer like me," he said.
Meanwhile, Felda Chini 3 Pas Youth chief Mohamad Iqbal Abdul Majid said the party machinery had been divided into several teams during campaigning.
"We have one team accompanying the candidate during the campaign while the other teams will make house calls to meet the voters. This method allows us to cover several areas at the same time and the support from the voters has been encouraging.
"However, we are not taking any chances and will continue to work hard just like how we did during the past elections. The programmes have been pre-planned and we will work according to the schedule," he said.
The three-cornered Chini by-election on July 4 will see Mohd Sharim going against two independent candidates: Tengku Datuk Zainul Hisham Tengku Hussin and Mohd Syukri Mohd Ramli.