Kota kinabalu: Party-hopping sentiments have not dampened the local community's support for Pakatan Harapan's (PH) candidate for the Melalap state seat in the 17th Sabah State Election, Datuk Jamawi Ja'afar. Jamawi, who is the Tenom Division chief of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS), is contesting the upcoming state polls as a PKR candidate, under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) ticket.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the former Kemabong assemblyman said his visits to several villages in the Melalap constituency since the campaign began showed that the response and acceptance from the local community were very encouraging, especially after learning that he is representing the party led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Jamawi expressed initial concerns about the sentiments surrounding his party switch and the debate between local and national parties. However, his visits to the villages revealed that local communities were accepting of him. He mentioned that some villagers were curious about the party's president, and upon learning it was Anwar Ibrahim, they positively associated him with the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) assistance.
Melalap, located within the Tenom parliamentary constituency, about 140 kilometers from Kota Kinabalu, is a rural area where support for PH has been growing stronger daily. This has given Jamawi renewed motivation to continue his campaign efforts. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for visiting Tenom, which he believes sends a strong signal to voters in Melalap to support the PH candidate.
Jamawi emphasized the importance of strengthening the relationship between the state government or the Melalap state constituency and Putrajaya. He believes this connection would facilitate the allocation of resources and address local issues at the federal level.
Cooperation between PH, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and Barisan Nasional (BN) in Melalap has been smooth and steady. Jamawi appreciated the effective execution of plans by PH, BN, and GRS, highlighting the full support from GRS and BN leaders for his candidacy.
The Election Commission (EC) has set November 25 for early voting, while polling day will be on November 29. According to EC statistics, a total of 1,784,843 voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this election, comprising 1,760,417 ordinary voters, 11,697 military personnel and their spouses, and 12,729 police personnel and their spouses.