Comeback for Kimanis people – Karim
KOTA KINABALU: In response to requests from constituents in Kimanis and Sindumin, Datuk Karim Bujang and Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob have come out of retirement to throw their support behind Parti Warisan Sabah in the 14th general election.
Former Bongawan state assemblyman Datuk Karim Bujang has been nominated for the Kimanis parliamentary seat while Dr Yusof will be contesting Sindumin state seat.
Karim, a former assistant minister, claimed the people in the Kimanis constituency had lost their confidence in the national Umno leadership.
“There are a few issues but what they want exactly is total change. They lost confidence in the national leadership,” he said when met after Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal unveiled the party’s list of candidates yesterday.
“I retired in 2013 not because I did not want Umno, but Umno did not want me. And Umno, the party I used to be with was not the same Umno that is here today. I joined Umno in 1992 and I brought the seat I won under Usno ticket in 1990,” he said.
Karim is confident that the constituents are supportive of him and his foray into politics again albeit on a different platform.
“I just don’t want to disappoint the supporters who want me to come back. The request from the voters in the area, they want change,” he said.
On challenging incumbent Kimanis MP Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, the former Sabah Ports Chairman said that by being the underdog, he has the advantage.
“I am the underdog because Anifah is a full minister and has been the MP there for a long time. I serve as his ADUN from 1990 to 2013. I came back at the request of the voters from my area as they want change. So I believe in change,” he said.
To a question on how he would fare going up against Anifah, Karim replied, “That question should be posed to the voters, you have to be fair to me. You think if I am not confident I would want to jump into this? I am confident.
He also dispelled talks that he is challenging Anifah for the Kimanis seat because of their alleged political differences within Umno in the past.
“There is nothing personal about this. It is fair play and I leave it to the people. They want to vote BN, it is up to them; they want to vote Warisan, come with me.
“I am willing to do this for the sake of the people. I joined Warisan sometime back. I have been watching Warisan, they deserve my support and participation,” he pointed out.
Warisan, he said, is picking up support in the west coast of Sabah and they are looking into areas and people who are not well represented in BN.
“I think most of all the rakyat want change and they do not want to just see a group of people getting the best deal in their life and leaving them high and dry.
“You have to fight for your right, for the people’s right, not for me. I am quite happy with what I am retired but I am doing it for the people of Kimanis. I just want to tell the party in power that they have to look into the details and the grouses on the ground.
“Don’t just tell the world that you are doing this and that but in actual fact you are not doing the things that needed to be done,” said Karim.
Meanwhile, Dr Yusof who was Sipitang Member of Parliament for three terms from 1996 to 2004, said he was dropped in the 2008 election.
He chose to make a comeback on Warisan’s platform also because of the people in the constituency.
Dr Yusof said that he travels back and forth from Sabah to Peninsular Malaysia on business and he saw how the country is administered and thinks that something is wrong somewhere.
“The rakyat are not happy with the situation and they want it to be corrected. I am called to participate with them. I am with Pakatan Harapan to correct the situation. I think something is wrong too somewhere in the state. The people are not really taken care of. The leaders are (only) taking care of themselves. Umno people want to be the ketua bahagian as long as they want and they want to be YBs as long as they want. They don’t really care, they do not really go down and see the problems,” he claimed.
He also claimed that Sipitang Member of Parliament Datuk Sapawi Ahmad never engaged the people in dialogues or discussion.
“I feel for the people. I am from Sipitang, the people requested that I do something so I am offering my service to them. When I was not active in politics, I was observing the situation, many issues not settled so people asking what happen so I am offering my service on a different platform as the current one seems to not be working."