Maori Party introduces its first Asian candidate

  • 10/07/2017
Wetex Kang
Wetex Kang Photo credit: Supplied

The Māori Party has introduced its first-ever Asian candidate, Wetex Kang, who will stand in the Botany electorate this election.

Thirty-nine percent of the Botany electorate are Asian, and Mr Kang says he wants to be "the true voice of Botany".

"Cultural integration is a priority within this electorate, so the current Botany MP cannot possibly be a voice for our people because he can't communicate efficiently with many of them from both a language and cultural standpoint," he says.

National MP Jamie-Lee Ross has held the seat since 2011, and won in a landslide, with 65 percent of the votes in 2014.

Mr Kang is of Malay and Chinese descent, is fluent in three Chinese dialects and understands Malay. He's an ex-pharmacist with and nutritionist, and currently runs a beekeeping company.

"I'm excited to be the Maori Party's first-ever Asian candidate. This candidacy symbolises a historical moment where the tangata whenua of Aotearoa can formally express manaakitanga, aroha, hospitality, generosity and mutual respect to all immigrants who've arrived in this beautiful land since the 1800s."

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