MEMBAKUT: Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he is hoping to turn 60 with Barisan Nasional winning the Kimanis parliamentary by-election.
“Jan 18 is a special day for me as I am celebrating my birthday on the same day (of Kimanis by-election polling day).
“But this year, I have told my wife that I will be here to celebrate it with victory in the by-election,” the opposition leader said during the campaign trail at Kabang district polling centre here, last night.
Based on four past by-elections - two parliaments and two states - in peninsular Malaysia that were won by BN, Ismail said he was confident that Kimanis would likely to garner the same result.
The Bera MP then expressed hope that supporters would grant his birthday wish for BN candidate Datuk Mohamad Alamin to win the party’s traditional seat, which would eventually bring the voices of Kimanis people to the Dewan Rakyat.
For now, he said Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin was the sole opposition representing Sabahans in Parliament.
“There are other ministers from Sabah in the parliament but they keep quiet as (Prime Minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would be watching them.
“Therefore, whenever issues pertaining to Sabah are raised in the parliament, I would direct Bung to speak out.
“But it will be better to have another parliamentarian from Kimanis, which is Datuk Mohamad Alamin, to take a turn with Bung in future to address issues of Sabah people,” added Ismail.
Earlier during the campaign, Ismail raised issues faced by traders of agriculture-based products under the PH government.
“The government’s move to remove subsidy and loans for smallholders are also making their lives worse. They have no new policy but only the ones that make people suffer."