Mohamad Iswan Ishak, a social media influencer who faced criticism for an offensive joke targeting the disabled community, has decided to withdraw his candidacy under the Muda banner in Negri Sembilan. Despite being announced as Muda’s candidate for N.36 Repah, Iswan made the personal decision to step back from the electoral race, as stated by the party. Muda thanked Iswan for his cooperation and wished him the best.
Muda secretary-general Amir Abd Hadi clarified that Iswan was not a party member but had participated in the candidate selection process during an online campaign aimed at democratization.
Following the announcement of his candidacy, Iswan faced backlash when an old video resurfaced, showing him making jokes while his friend pretended to be a disabled person to use a designated parking spot. Iswan, 32, has issued an apology for the video, and in a subsequent TikTok video, he confirmed his withdrawal from the election, expressing a desire to learn and raise issues in his area as a regular citizen, not as a representative.