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SEMPORNA: The campaign in all three state seats here has begun to accelerate, with candidates in the Sabah elections making greater efforts to reach voters.
Warisan chairman Shafie Apdal took office after nominations on Saturday for the Senallang seat, where he is seeking re-election in a five-corner contest.
Shafie visited Pulau Bum Bum, about 10 minutes by boat from the city of Semporna, and was on the move from late afternoon until late at night, touring island villages of some 32,000 people.
The Senallang, Sulabayan and Bugaya seats form the Semporna parliamentary constituency, where Shafie was elected deputy in 2018.
“About 80% of my campaign is about meeting people. Not everyone has a telephone and internet. If we meet the voters, they can see our faces, ”he said.
On the second and third day of the campaign, Shafie visited several villages around Semporna before going to other places like Kunak, Lahad Datu and Tawau to help the other candidates of his party.
He said attendance at Warisan campaign events has been encouraging.
Shafie’s challenger, his nephew Norazman Utoh Nain of Perikatan Nasional, began his campaign by meeting with community leaders in Senallang.
“I have met more than 50% of the community leaders and my campaign method will change after this. We will enter the 11 voting centers with the objective of visiting three a day, ”he said.
Refusing to be overshadowed by his uncle, Norazman said he would explain to voters the need for a leadership change in the area, as he claimed there has been a lack of development.
Mohd Daud Tampokong, the PN candidate for Bugaya, is a rookie in the elections and is running for the first time.
Mohd Daud, who is the division chief of Semporna PPBM, said that he had covered four of the 11 electoral districts, focusing on the importance of installing a state government that is on the same page as the federal government to facilitate development.
“Our weapon is to carry our message directly to the grassroots,” said Mohd Daud, who is involved in a seven-way battle.
The campaigning activities of the other candidates, Parti Cinta Sabah, United National Organization of Sabah (Usno Baru) and independents pale in comparison to those of the main alliances.
So far, the posters and flags of Warisan Plus, Barisan Nasional and PN outnumber those of their rivals.
Warisan has dominated the cartel war on all three state seats. Almost all the main roads were lined with flags and large billboards with an image of Shafie with the slogan “In God we trust, united we must.”
Senallang has 14,336 registered voters; Bugaya, 20 267; and Sulabayan, 14,012.
