Manggis is the talk of Kemabong

Independent candidate Rubin tipped to win as he’s known to be people-friendly

TENOM: The talk in the interior seat of Kemabong is manggis (mangosteen) may win.

Manggis is the symbol of Independent candidate Datuk Rubin Balang, who was Umno’s five-term Kemabong assemblyman from 1994 to 2018.

In GE14, Umno fielded him for the Tenom parliamentary seat, consisting of Kemabong and Melalap, but he lost to DAP’s Noorita Sual by 1,133 votes.

In this snap election, Sabah Umno fielded its state information chief and former Tenom MP Datuk Raime Unggi in a contest that locals dubbed the 2R fight – Rubin vs Raimee.

The third candidate, Upko vicepresident Datuk Dr Lucas Umbul, is representing Warisan Plus.

But Lucas is seen as a distant third contender in the six-cornered fight in the constituency where personality overshadows issues.

Manggis is putting up a good fight against Barisan Nasional’s dacing (scale) symbol as most of the Murut voters are drawn to politicians who are mesra rakyat (people friendly).

This is a rural seat where the politicians’ likeability goes a long way as voters expect them to attend weddings, funerals and to mingle and spend time with the people.

Rubin is known to be more people-friendly than Raimee while Lucas, a former senator, is seen as a distant figure who comes from the neighbouring Melalap seat.

In Melalap, it is the fight between two big personalities – incumbent Datuk Peter Anthony of Parti Warisan Sabah and former Kemabong assemblyman Jamawi Jaafar of Barisan/Umno.

Both are seen as generous politicians who have served the rakyat who expect their assemblyman to be like Santa Claus who will solve their daily problems.

Jamawi won the Kemabong seat in GE14. However, he ditched Umno to join Warisan and made a U-turn when he supported Tan Sri Musa Aman’s failed bid to topple Datuk

Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal in late July this year.

Umno did not retain Jamawi to defend his seat. Instead in a last-minute decision, it fielded him for Melalap.

PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Radin Malleh has held the Melalap seat for two decades before losing it to Peter in GE14.

Peter is leading in the six-cornered fight in Melalap as even though Jamawi was also a generous and dynamic candidate, the Opposition votes will be split between him and Radin.

The Warisan vice-president is a cult personality in Melalap where despite a slew of corruption cases, Peter is seen as a politician who is berjiwa rakyat (people oriented).

Hisomuddin Bakar, Ilham Center executive director, pointed out that in the interior of Sabah, personality matters and not issues and party symbol.

He said rural voters would pick the candidate and not the party because in a confusing multi-cornered fight, they preferred a politician who could serve them.

“When they are confused because there are many candidates, they will pick a candidate who they are familiar and comfortable with and who is accessible to them,” he said.

“If they pick the party, the party can change and be with GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) or Warisan Plus. But if they pick the candidate, the candidate will be the same.”