A costly challenge for Kinabatangan hopefuls

Community outreach: Naim (centre), mingling with customers at a restaurant while campaigning in Kampung Paris 3, Kinabatangan. — Bernama

KINABATANGAN: It is no easy task for any candidate campaigning for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, with the main obs­tacle being reaching voters living in villages scattered along the hilly terrain of the Crocker Range.

If this is not enough, there are also those residing along rivers accessible only by boat, thus making it not only a daunting but costly task.

Campaigners often have to drive through dirt roads that are sometimes flooded or board boats for journeys lasting several hours – or even an entire day, depending on weather conditions – just to reach a few hundred voters in a constituency with 48,764 registered voters.

A polling district such as Inarad in Tongod, located in the upper reaches of the Sungai Kina­batan­gan, has 580 registered voters, which may deter some candidates given the high costs and access difficulties as the area is tucked between forest reserves, plantati­ons and farms.

Kampung Kuamut, in the upper reaches of Kinabatangan River, remains accessible only by boats which could take about six hours from Kinabatangan town.

Independent candidate Goldam Hamid admitted that he will not be able to reach all areas, but said he is focusing on engaging as many voters as possible across the 27 polling districts involving three state constituencies – Kua­mut, Lamag and Sukau – ahead of the Jan 24 polling day.

“Sukau is a bit difficult to cover fully. In Lamag, I can reach most polling districts, and maybe about 80% of Kuamut,” he said, adding that he worked with friends to reach remote areas in the consti­tuency.

Saddi and Goldam.

Warisan candidate Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman also acknowled­g­ed the limitations of the two-week campaign period.

“It is not possible to cover eve­ry­thing,” he said when contacted.

Saddi said areas such as Kua­mut and Inarad have no road access and can only be reached by boat, with river journeys taking up to four hours depending on conditions.

Barisan Nasional’s Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar also said the biggest challenge in reaching voters across polling districts is distance and logistics.

“The constituency is simply too large, with scattered settlements and very different needs.

“That is why I strongly support the realignment of the Kinaba­ta­ngan constituency, so representation can be more focused, more effective and fair to every community,” he said.

However, Naim said he is confident of reaching out to voters in all polling districts by the end of the two-week campaign period.

Spanning an area roughly half the size of Pahang, the biodiversity-rich Kinabatangan constituency lacks proper roads and basic infrastructure such as electricity and piped water in many of its far-flung villages.

Villagers, especially those living along rivers, rely heavily on boats for supplies, school transport and medical access, while road access is often hampered by floods during the rainy season.