SANDAKAN: Independent Sulaiman Abdul Samat may not have a large crowd of supporters following him in his campaign trail but his friendly and easy-going manners seem more than enough to get his manifesto message across.
With a welcoming smile, the 36-year-old Sandakan-born approached customers in Chinese coffee shops during his walkabout at Sri Taman here, today.
“I am running for the Sandakan parliamentary seat. Please take time to read my manifesto,” Sulaiman said as he handed out his copy of four-point manifesto. With him were three young men, who also helped to distribute the small piece of paper.
The former Assistant Administrator of DAP Sandakan Parliament Service Centre also greeted tenants at the Sri Taman flats, where he took some time out to explain his manifesto to every resident he met.
“Unlike other big candidates, I prefer to meet and engage with the people without having big followers around. This way, it’s easier to speak to the people and ask about their dissatisfaction. I can focus on delivering my message,” he told New Straits Times.
“That’s my mission. People will always feel uneasy when you approach them in large crowd. They will not tell you the real problems because they are afraid to speak. I know this because I was once part of the large followers,” Sulaiman added.
His engagement with Sri Taman residents was his third walkabout. At 4pm, he will once again meet with Kampung Sim-Sim villagers, whom DAP candidate Vivian Wong Shir Yee had met earlier in the morning with supporters from Parti Amanah Negara tagging along.
Sulaiman had yesterday gone to the water village. He said not many villagers came out as it was Sunday.
“I feel the need to meet with them again. I know Kampung Sim-Sim has cleanliness problems and many villagers have also complained of not getting the assistance they need to repair houses.
“These are some of areas I will fight for the people. My manifesto also focuses on restructuring the Sandakan administrative and Islamic development,” he said.
Ahmad @ Awang Omar, 67, from Jambatan 20 of the water village, said his family had been requesting for help to fix their wooden house built on stilt as many parts of the walls were damaged due to termites.
“We have yet to get the assistance. But I do see houses that did not require fixing and still received repair work. That does not make sense.
“I hope whoever becomes (Sandakan) MP will really listen to our needs. I don’t care which party they represent as long as the people’s welfare is taken care,” he said.
Suhardi Latipu, 36, said the village lack lights along the Jambatan 20 walkway, while also stressing on the need to tackle presence of rubbish in the area.
“I also want to see the nearby Pasar Ikan Bakar Sim-Sim be expanded with more parking spaces because it is a tourist stop,” he said.
Situated just a few metres from Jambatan 20, water villagers, including Suhardi family, operate grilled fish stalls at the Pasak Ikan Bakar Sim-Sim. Many visitors and tourists alike would stop at the market to have grilled fish.