A NEW member of parliament will represent Kimanis voters who will decide today in a by-election that has pitted two homegrown leaders.
For two intense weeks, Parti Warisan Sabah candidate Datuk Karim Bujang and Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Mohamad Alamin campaigned in a straight fight for the seat.
The campaign helped highlight issues close to the people’s heart such as the large presence of immigrants in the state, their economic wellbeing and the need for better infrastructure in the constituency.
Topics on the Sabah Temporary Pass or PSS, the Pan Borneo Highway, indigenous land ownership as well as the oil and gas industry were extensively deliberated by both camps.
Their mandate will be on convincing how they can pursue the people’s aspirations and deliver it once they get voted into Parliament to the 29,644 voters in the area that stretch from the west coast to the Crocker Range hills.
Kimanis will also get to see a new MP, as the constituency was represented by former federal minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman for more than 15 years.
Both Karim and Mohamad had served as state assemblymen
before but never as MP in the constituency which has a majority of Muslim Bumiputera community.
Apart from that, constituents will also get to pick from the new coalitions that came about after the 14th General Election where some elected representatives switched camps.
According to Bernama, two election offences were recorded since campaigning began after nomination day on Jan 4.
The Election Commission (EC) said the offences were recorded by its By-election Campaign Enforcement Team.
Reports of other offences, including the utterance of slanderous remarks, had also been lodged with the police but no report of corruption was lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, it said.
Police in Beaufort have opened eight investigation papers on alleged election offences related to sedition, criminal defamation and destruction of election materials during the by-election.
Beaufort police chief Deputy Superintendent Azmir Abdul Razak said the reports were lodged by both camps.
“We will look into all of them, it doesn’t matter which side.
“As long as a police report is made, we will investigate,” he had said.
Meanwhile, Sabah Commissioner of Police Datuk Omar Mammah said a total of 859 officers would be on duty on polling day to ensure the process runs smoothly.
He said the police were
wary of sensitive issues which could cause provocation and dissatisfaction among the community.
“I urge all parties not to raise any issue which could spark animosity within the community.
“This sort of action would face consequences under Section 4 (a) (1) of the Election Offences Act 1954,” he said.