Voters in Sabah have been strongly advised to shun candidates with a history or tendency to switch parties after the 17th Sabah state election, as this undermines political stability.
Stability comes first
Umno information chief Azalina Othman Said stressed that choosing representatives who stay loyal to their party and focus on serving the people is essential to ending the culture of party-hopping in the state.
Speaking to reporters after the Justice on Wheels programme in Tuaran today, she said many parties are contesting, but voters must pick those genuinely committed to service rather than personal gain or positions.
“The anti-hopping law was brought in after the 15th General Election precisely to stop this practice and let people vote for candidates who truly want to serve,” she explained.
Choose representatives who stay and work
Azalina reminded voters that an elected assemblyman must start working for the rakyat the very next day after polling.
“If we keep choosing candidates who are likely to jump or who only appear during election season, nothing will change,” she warned.
She urged Sabahans, whether voting locally or flying back from the peninsula, to think carefully: state assemblymen handle state matters, while MPs deal with federal issues.
“Choose someone who will not run away and will not hop. Otherwise, you vote for A but end up with B, or vote for B and get C. All our effort goes to waste,” she said.
BN tagline not an admission of failure
On Barisan Nasional’s campaign slogan “Kita Bikin Balik Sabah”, Azalina dismissed suggestions that it admits past shortcomings.
“That interpretation comes from opponents. Many of today’s parties actually originated from BN itself. This is just politics,” she said, adding that with only one day of campaigning left, voters should now focus on making the right choice.
