KINABATANGAN: It will likely go down to the wire for Kinabatangan and Lamag as rivals push the “local versus national party” narrative to gain an upper hand in the last 24 hours of the dual by-elections.
Both Barisan Nasional, led by Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, and Warisan’s Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal criss-crossed the state’s largest district to swing voters divided with decades of loyalty to the national coalition and amid growing sentiments for local party representation.
Ahmad Zahid campaigned in Tongod in the upper reaches of Sungai Kinabatangan and then in the urban Lamag area, explaining the need to strengthen cooperation between Barisan and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to ensure the state enjoys political stability for development.
The Barisan chief maintained that political differences must be set aside for the well-being of the people of Sabah.
“Enough of politics. What is more important today is stability for the sake of development and the welfare of the people of Sabah,” he said at the Sentuhan Kasih Desa@Kuamut programme in Tongod.
Barisan candidate Mohd Naim Kurniawan Moktar is in a three-cornered fight with Warisan’s Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman and independent Goldam Hamid for the Kinabatangan parliamentary seat.
It is a straight fight in Lamag between Barisan’s Mohd Ismail Ayob @Miha and Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek.
While campaigning for Warisan’s candidates, Shafie impressed on voters the need for autonomy and regional identity by representation through local parties.
This, he said, is important to drive efforts for Sabah to achieve its constitutional rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Poor roads, especially to far flung villages, and job opportunities for youths in this oil palm and eco-tourism district were among issues brought up by the candidates throughout the campaigning period, which ends at midnight today.
Barisan’s choice of candidate for Lamag remains contentious among Kinabatangan Umno ranks as they are said to have preferred their own choice instead of Miha, who in the just-concluded state polls had challenged the late Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
His candidacy is said to have suffered as he is seen as a “unity government” candidate rather than the coalition’s choice.
Political observers in Kinabatangan give Naim a good chance of retaining the seat held by his late father amid a mood of sympathy, while Miha, a youth activist with his own political brand, also holds the upper hand against Warisan, who is relying heavily on local and state sentiments.
The Kinabatangan parliamentary seat, comprising the three state seats of Lamag, Sukau and Kuamut, had been held by Bung Moktar for Barisan since 1999.
It is now considered the coalition’s last stronghold after it lost the state government in 2018.
Local political and party dynamics, loyalties and sympathies are expected to determine the voting mood of the people here.
Meanwhile, Kuamut assemblyman Datuk Masiung Banah called on voters to elect candidates from the ruling party for effective representation.
The Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah vice-president said having elected representatives from the government would help the people as they would be able to serve the communities in their constituencies.
“The people of Kuamut should take advantage of the good relationship that has been established between the federal and state governments,” he said.
