Warisan president Shafie Apdal stressed that Sabah’s real political battleground is not on TikTok or in newspapers, but in villages and coffee shops where voters decide whom they trust.
Preparing Warisan for a solo contest in the coming state election, Shafie said candidate credibility cannot be created through media exposure alone.
“It’s not about being on TikTok or in newspapers. What matters most is who the grassroots want and need,” he told reporters in Kota Kinabalu.
Acknowledging calls for more women and youth candidates, Shafie said Warisan will field them but insisted that grassroots recognition remains the party’s priority. “Some candidates may never appear on the national stage, but the kampung knows them well. That is what counts when people vote.”
He cited teachers, lawyers, headmasters, and retired civil servants as credible local candidates who may not grab headlines but are trusted in their communities. Warisan already has a list of candidates, though some constituencies have more than one option and will be deliberated further.
Recounting his walkabouts in Kudat, Kepayan and Luyang, Shafie said locals expressed frustration with absentee assemblymen who spend more time in Kota Kinabalu than in their constituencies. At one coffee shop, retirees told him: “Ninety days from now, Shafie, you’ll be chief minister. We must celebrate here.”
He argued that such encounters carry more weight than viral online clips. Shafie also highlighted the importance of Chinese support, not only in urban centres such as Kota Kinabalu and Penampang, but also in rural districts including Tawau, Balung, Apas and Keningau.
“Don’t underestimate the Chinese support,” he said, recalling how leaders like Tun Mustapha and Joseph Pairin Kitingan once relied on it. He added that Chinese businesses remain economic anchors in towns and villages, and their political choices ripple beyond their own community.
