KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- A 89-year-old grandma has made headlines in local newspapers after she filed her nomination paper on Sunday to contest a Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat in northern Malaysia.

    Maimun Yusof, a grandmother of 19 great grandchildren, perhaps the oldest election candidate ever in the country, was seen these days hitting the roads on her bicycle in Kuala Terengganu, capital of the Terengganu State, to meet voters and canvass for support.

    Maimun, a cloth trader living all her life at Gong Gemia Village in Kuala Terengganu, prepared campaign posters herself and used her own party name to challenge political heavyweights in the constituency.

    She attracted support at least from her friends and neighbors.

    Although a newcomer to the political scene, Maimun soon got down to business, constantly highlighting her intent to make Kuala Terengganu a better place for the people.

    She, unaware that her candidacy had already made headlines, wanted changes in many things, from refurbishment of office buildings to upgrading of schools.

    Maimun has so far spent 10,000 ringgit (3,000 U.S. dollars) to register as a candidate. She also had to mobilize more money in her campaign preparations. But she believed she would win.