GE15: Candidates visit Gaya Street in KK while on the campaign trail

KOTA KINABALU: Election candidates for the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat have started their campaign walkabouts, bringing messages of development and a better Malaysia to woo voters in the city.

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) candidate Yee Tsai Yiew told city folk that she hoped to bring about better infrastructure, namely the public transport system, including the construction of light rapid transit (LRT) lines.

She said with a better public transport system, or an LRT service, people living nearby could go to the city easier, and there would be better traffic flow.

She was among several candidates who had their morning walkabout at the Gaya Street Sunday market.

Incumbent MP for Kota Kinabalu, Chan Foong Hin said his main campaign message is not just about local developments.

"We also tell voters how it’s important to bring changes to the country and to strengthen democracy," he said.

During his brief walk at Gaya Street, he said it would serve the traders well if there were more product varieties showcased.

Chan said pre-pandemic, the majority of those who actually bought from these traders were visitors from China.

He said now, with China still closing its borders, those who thronged the market did not really have purchasing power.

"So maybe there can be more efforts from the traders side to attract local buyers with more varieties of products while the state Tourism Board can come up with ways to bring in more tourists who would want to spend money, as opposed to just window shopping," he said.

Datuk Winston Liaw, who was a candidate from Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Malaysia (KDM), hoped to also bring in more Asean visitors into Sabah, thus boosting the economy.

"We also hope to have discussions with China so that they would reopen their borders and allow for their citizens to return to Sabah," he said.

Liaw is also the Sabah Travel and Tourism Agencies Association president.