'Don't vote for me just because I'm handsome' says Warisan's Sepanggar candidate
Sepanggar - Parti Warisan Sabah's Aziz Jamman wants the people in the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency to look beyond his good looks if they choose to vote for him.
The 44-year-old, who is known for his fiery oratory skills, stirred up the Sepanggar ceramah crowd on Monday (May 7) night, saying that those thirsty for change should support him.
"Don't vote for me because I'm a Bajau, don't vote for me because I'm a Muslim, and don't vote for me because people say I am a 'handsome boy'.
"Instead, vote for me if you think it's time for Sabah to change," said the Warisan Wira chief in Sepanggar with a dimpled smile.
He is said to be the toughest challenge for the smooth-talking, ever-smiling Abdul Rahman, the incumbent Kota Belud MP who has moved to Sepanggar.
Azis, who left Semporna Umno in 2016 to join Warisan led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, also cautioned the people against supporting smaller, local-based parties, saying they have no chance of forming the government, even if they ended up winning all the seats contested in GE14.
He said this was because these smaller native parties, such as the four-party local opposition coalition Gabungan Sabah, are contesting fewer than 31 seats each, the number required for a party to form the state government.
"Although Warisan has a seat-sharing pact with Pakatan Harapan, Warisan is contesting 44 seats," he pointed out.
Gabungan comprises SAPP, led by former chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee; Sabah STAR headed by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan; Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah led by former Umno supreme council member Datuk Lajim Ukin; and Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah led by Mohd Arshad Abdul Mualaf.
Sepanggar, encompassing the naval base, as well as the federal as well as state administrative centres, is a mixed area with migrants from all over the country settling there.
Located near state capital Kota Kinabalu, it is a mixed race seat with 62,415 voters of which 34,484 are Muslim bumiputra, 15,370 are non-Muslim bumiputra, 11,847 Chinese and 714 classified as others.
The Sepanggar constituency has two state seats under it – Inanam and Karambunai. In 2013, Barisan won the Sepanggar and Karambunai seats but lost Inanam to PKR's Dr Roland Chia.