Sandakan polls: Indie candidate Hamzah alleges campaign being sabotaged by Amanah, municipal council

SANDAKAN: Independent candidate Hamzah Abdullah (pic) has alleged that his election campaign is being systematically sabotaged by Sabah Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) members and the Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS).

According to Hamzah, the police report lodged by Sabah Amanah Youth chief Khairuddin Daud on Tuesday (April 30), which alleged that he had used Amanah's logo during his campaign, was a false claim.

Hamzah said during his walkabout on Tuesday (April 30), several Amanah members who bumped into him had offered to distribute his campaign flyers to Sandakan locals.

"I appreciated their cooperation so I gave them the flyers. I did not force them to distribute it on my behalf. It's their own willingness to distribute it," he added.

In the police report lodged by Khairuddin, he claimed that several individuals believed to be affiliated with Hamzah were seen to have allegedly issued pamphlets while wearing a T-shirt bearing the Amanah logo at the Kim Fung Market.

"This allegation is not true at all," Hamzah added.

Hamzah said he will file a defamation suit against Khairuddin after the May 11 Sandakan polls.

At the same time, Hamzah, the former Sabah Amanah chairman claimed that applications for his ceramah was deliberately delayed by the Sandakan Municipal Council (MPS).

He said he had submitted an application for an April 30 ceramah the day before but was only approved at 5pm on Tuesday (April 30).

"I didn't have enough time to tell the voters that I was having a ceramah at Taman Mesra. So, I had to postpone that ceramah.

"But, I managed get approval for a ceramah at Taman Harmoni on Wednesday at 5pm," he said.

Citing from experience, Hamzah said an application for a ceramah that is submitted in the morning would be approved by 2-3pm on the same day itself.

Hamzah had been at loggerheads with Amanah members since campaign for the Sandakan by-election kicked off last Saturday.

On Monday (April 29), Sabah Amanah chairman Haris Alimuddin issued a warning that disciplinary action would be taken against its members for supporting Hamzah, who resigned from all positions last August.

Last August, Hamzah, who's also the former Sabah Amanah chairman, said he was forced to step down from all positions in the party because some of its members refused to cooperate under his leadership.

The Sandakan polls will see a five-cornered fight between DAP, Parti Bersatu Sabah, and three independent candidates.

The by-election was triggered after two-term incumbent Datuk Stephen Wong died of a heart attack following a hike on March 28.

In GE14, Stephen won the seat with a 10,098-vote majority.