GRS candidate Pg Saifuddin Pg Tahir (left) sharing a moment with kampung resident Wan Moksin Ratun during his door-to-door campaign in Kampung Kelahanan today. (Bernama pic)
PAPAR: As the Sabah election campaign enters its sixth day, two first-time candidates in Papar are relying on the classic approach of going door to door to meet voters in person.
Although seemingly old-fashioned in the digital age, both candidates believed their strategy allows them to interact directly with voters, while providing space to hear their concerns and views on local issues in each village.
BN candidate Jamal Norubit visiting a family in Kampung Sabok while campaigning for the Kawang state seat. (Bernama pic)
Jamal Norubit, the Barisan Nasional candidate for Kawang, said the house visits offered a personal touch and allowed him to better understand the issues affecting every village in the constituency.
“The most important thing is that I can reach voters’ hearts. We become closer to them. Sometimes there are six or seven people in one house.
“At the same time, I get direct feedback on the problems in each village. Every village faces different issues,” he told Bernama after visiting residents in Kampung Langsat and Kampung Sabok, near Kinarut.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s (GRS) candidate for Pantai Manis, Pg Saifuddin Pg Tahir, said this traditional strategy remained important and relevant, complementing social media campaigning.
He said face-to-face engagement remained the most effective platform to build trust and ultimately win over voters.
He added that the approach gives him more space to explain GRS’s development plans and manifesto clearly and effectively.
Kawang and Pantai Manis, which have 23,823 and 20,026 voters respectively, are two of three state seats in the Papar parliamentary constituency.
Polling is scheduled for Nov 29, with early voting on Nov 25.
