Kinabatangan, Lamag Polls: Voters Back Door-to-Door, Small Group Campaigns

By Suraidah Roslan

KINABATANGAN, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- Voters for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and Lamag state by-elections have expressed that door-to-door campaigns and small group talks remain effective and relevant in garnering support.

Compared to large-scale rallies, they feel these approaches bring them closer to the candidates, allowing them to better understand the individuals who are contesting.

Kinabatangan Hospital, Support Services supervisor Kasnoor Armin, 49, said direct face-to-face campaigns provide voters with an opportunity to voice their concerns while gaining a clearer understanding of the candidates' mission and vision for the area.

"Besides face-to-face campaigns, online campaigns should also be leveraged to help voters who live far away stay informed about the candidates' progress and proposals," he added.

Kasnoor added that online campaigns play a key role in connecting locals working outside the district, such as in Kota Kinabalu or Peninsular Malaysia, to stay updated on current developments and learn more about the candidates.

“In this modern age, digital media has become essential for ensuring messages reach all segments of society, especially for rural communities who find it difficult to attend physical rallies,” he told Bernama when met here today.

Today marks the seventh day of campaigning since it began on Jan 10, following the official announcement of candidates for the Kinabatangan parliamentary and the Lamag state seats. Both seats fell vacant following the death of the incumbent, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, on Dec 5 last year.

So far, the pace of campaigning for all candidates has been relatively slow, with one to five events held daily due to the geographical challenges of travelling long distances, either by land or river. 

Meanwhile, Kasnoor’s views were echoed by retired civil servant, Kamsah Sulaiman, 68, who also believes face-to-face encounters are the most effective method for interaction.

“I suggest that group campaigns continue as they remain relevant in bringing communities together, especially when party leaders visit to share the future direction of development for the area,” he said.

Dini Ag Kecil, 26, a resident of Kampung Sungai Lokan, added that door-to-door campaigns allow candidates to directly hear the ideas and concerns of younger voters regarding local development.

Meanwhile, fruit vendor Abdul Malik Yussof, 59, noted that villagers feel more comfortable with the traditional door-to-door campaign style.

“For people like us, we value candidates who take the time to visit us at home and engage with the people,” said Abdul Malik.

Kinabatangan features a three-cornered contest involving Mohd Kurniawan Naim Moktar of Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman (Warisan) and Goldam Hamid (Independent), while Lamag sees a straight fight between Mohd Ismail Ayob (BN) and Mazliwati Abdul Malek (Warisan).

Polling is on Jan 24 and early voting on Jan 20.

-- BERNAMA