KOTA KINABALU: “I would still win if I contested 10 times in the same place.”
This is what three-term Sugut assemblyman Datuk James Ratib (pic) said during a recent podcast on his current political campaign as he defends his state seat for the fourth term in a row.
“I can win here even if I contest 10 times because I have hardcore supporters and voters,” he said.
He said the presence of Perikatan Nasional heavyweight, Datuk Dr Ronald Kiandee, as one of his six contenders, would not sway his supporters.
“I have known Kiandee since we were in Umno together. In fact, I was the one who brought him into Umno,” he said.
James said that during his political career with Umno, Kiandee, the Beluran MP, had never won any positions within the party.
“This shows that Kiandee is not a well-liked or strongly supported leader,” he said, adding that this was why he was shocked when Kiandee was named Perikatan’s vice-president.
James does not think Kiandee has enough support to win Sugut, attributing his confidence to his solid groundwork and strong grassroots support, which he had built before he was appointed Umno youth chief in the area in the 1980s.
“My people included those who have known me since they were children until their adulthood, and those since their youth to old age,” he said.
His presence, as well as the developments he brought, were why they would continue to support him, he said.
