KINABATANGAN: For many voters from Kampung Kuamut, casting their ballots begins with a six-hour boat ride back to their village.
Their journey begins in Bukit Garam, the most developed part of Lamag, Kinabatangan, on Sabah’s east coast, approximately a six-hour drive from the state capital, Kota Kinabalu.
From there, voters must rely entirely on river transport to return home and vote in the Kinabatangan and Lamag by-election.
At the Kampung Pengkalan Bukit Garam jetty, about 20 people waited with their belongings, preparing for the long trip upriver.
Among them was teacher Marjuki Maus, who said returning to Kampung Kuamut has never been easy.
“Kampung Kuamut is still without a proper road. Everything depends on the river. Still, I am determined go back this time because I must perform my responsibility to vote, and I want the people that I vote for to deliver their promises; to build roads in Kg Kuamut,” he said.
Marjuki said travel time varies significantly depending on the boat’s engine power, with smaller engines taking much longer to navigate the route.
Kampung Kuamut is a rural village with 813 registered voters and is currently accessible only by river, with no proper road linking it to Bukit Garam or other towns. A one-way boat ride from Bukit Garam to Kampung Kuamut costs about RM1,500, which is divided among eight to ten passengers.
The absence of proper road access has shaped daily life in Kampung Kuamut in ways that go far beyond elections, affecting access to education, healthcare and basic services.
Yet despite the hardship, villagers continue to make the journey home whenever elections are held.
Among those waiting at the jetty was Wawah Bantan, 60, who said most of the voters returning to Kuamut now work in Sandakan or stay in Bukit Garam.
According to him, only about 300 residents still live permanently in the village, with many others having moved out over the years in search of employment and better access to services.
Wawah said families with school-going children often relocate because Kuamut has only a primary school, forcing students to leave the village for secondary education.
Others made the decision to move so elderly family members could live closer to hospitals and medical facilities.
Still, Wawah said distance and difficulty have not diminished the villagers’ sense of responsibility.
“We still come back because this is our duty as citizens,” he said, adding that many voters see the by-election as another chance to push for long-overdue improvements.
Above all, he said, residents are hoping for tangible development that can change everyday life in Kuamut.
“What we need most is a proper road,” he said.
Wawah said villagers were looking for leaders who would consistently engage with the people and bring lasting improvements, rather than appearing only once in five years.
“For us, we choose candidates who can truly change our lives,” he said.
