KOTA KINABALU: Friendly banter among rivals was the order of the day as campaigning got underway in Sabah where a record 358 candidates are vying for 85 parliamentary and state seats.
At the Kepayan low cost housing shops, a group of PKR campaigners dropped by a canopy to take health screening tests offered by rival Barisan Nasional.
'This is a friendly match,'' said a PKR campaigner, taking a seat in the Barisan tent after walking around distributing the party's pamphlets at shops in Kapayan under the Penampang seat being defended by Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.
Dompok is facing a three-cornered contest including Darrel Leiking of PKR and STAR's Melanie Annol.
Melanie said the friendly contest comes as no surprise because although candidates or their campaigners were of different political affiliations many of them were related.
Her cousins - Philip Lasimbang of Upko and Bernard Solibun of STAR - are among the four contenders for the Moyog state seat.
Another cousin, DAP's Dr Edwin Bosi, is taking on Sabah MCA chief Datuk Edward Khoo in a four-cornered contest for the Kepayan state seat - also within Penampang parliament constituency.
'Politics doesn't get in the way of our family ties. Politics is politics but family is still family, so we don't fight or pull sour faces at each other just because campaigning is on,” she said.
'We still go out together and have our drinks or meals,” she said, adding that she was at family gathering with Philip, Bernard and Edwin when the Star called her.
A similar atmosphere prevailed at the packed weekly Gaya Street fair in downtown Kota Kinabalu that saw candidates from different parties criss- crossing paths on the campaign trail.
Seen shaking hands and exchanging greetings, the candidates that included SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee and LDP Youth chief Chin Su Ying who were both running for the Likas state seat in a four cornered contest.
Others campaigning at the fair were PKR's Christina Liew and Dr Felix Chong of STAR, who were among the five candidates vying for the Api Api state seat.
Yong said the good-natured campaigning was expected as many of the candidates had been friends for a long time.
'We all go back a long way, so there is nothing personal about this,'' he added.
Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok can be the possible runaway winner in Penampang seat diluting the opposition votes after two opposition parties joined in the fray.
ReplyDeleteUPKO’s choice of Limus Jury for Kuala Penyu, and Kennedy Jie John for Bingkor, have expressed their gratitude to the party and Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership for trusting in them to represent the coalition in the 13th general election
ReplyDeleteSome see the three-cornered fight as a keen one in the Kadazan heartland while others say that the presence of two opposition parties will split disgruntled voters.
ReplyDeleteDompok is facing Melanie Annol from STAR and Ignatius Darell Leiking from PKR.
In the 2008 general election, Dompok retained the Penampang seat after securing 13, 400 votes, beating his opponents Edwin @Jack Bosi (PKR) and other two independent candidates.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Dompok, the people have seen within the short four years, the implementation of the transformation programme has given positive impact to Penampang in terms of roads upgrading, electricity connection, education enhancement and other government efforts like securing the State and addressing the illegal immigrant issue through ESSCOM and RCI respectively.
ReplyDelete“For the last four years the government has crossed metal barriers on things to address. I think the introduction of RCI certainly is very forward and I’m looking forward to address the RCI and how I think the problem should be solved.
ReplyDeleteDompok praise the government because committed in addressing problems, who also supported by Datuk Philp Lasimbang in Moyog and Datuk Edward Khoo in Kapayan
ReplyDeleteKhoo meanwhile is upbeat about his chances in retaining the Kapayan seat.
ReplyDelete“What we have been doing all these years is the transformation programme and we are serious in transforming the country to become a developed nation by the year 2020,” said Khoo who is heading into serving his third term.
Philip, who came fully dressed in Kadazan costume said that he is confident to win the Moyog seat. However, he would not undermine his rivals. “I have to work very hard but we are very prepared,” said Philip.
ReplyDeleteDatuk Philip Lasimbang, who was announced as Moyog’s candidate for UPKO said that he will be continuing the programs planned by his predecessor, Datuk Donald Mojuntin.
ReplyDelete