Goh says more confident now of winning Kapayan

KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional’s (BN) candidate for the Kapayan state seat, Datuk Francis Goh, is confident that the coalition will be able to wrest back the seat from the opposition.

The Sabah MCA liaison deputy chairman said this is because of increasing support from the Chinese community in the area.

Even though MCA was set up to represent a single race, the support from other races in Kapayan, other than from the Chinese, is growing from strength to strength, he said.

Speaking to reporters after a meet the people session at Lido Square on Tuesday night, Goh said he was initially worried about the support of the Chinese community in Kapayan.

“I was worried that it may follow the trend of the 13th general election. But going by the attendance of the people tonight, more than 1,000, the response is very encouraging.

“This has injected more confidence in me and I am convinced that the Chinese community know how to tell the difference between those who really work to serve them and vice versa,” he said.

Goh said he knows it is important for MCA/BN to work hard (to regain the support of the Chinese community) which is why he started serving the community four years ago, before he was named as BN’s candidate for the 14th general election.

“I started serving the constituency and meeting the grassroots since four years ago. I serve all notwithstanding race, religion or colour of your skin. I treat all equally as I work to serve the people in Kapayan.

“It is my hope that the constituents would repay my deeds by giving me the mandate. For the KDMs and Malays, the support is good, we know this as the villages have started to put up MCA flags. I am confident MCA will be victorious in Kapayan,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the significance of BN Kota Belud candidate Datuk Seri Salleh Said’s presence at the event, Goh said, it was a moral support for the coalition’s candidates.

Also present that night to speak to the people were BN Penampang candidate, Mandela Malakun, and BN Luyang candidate, Dr. Pamela Yong.

Dr Pamela, when met by the press, said that she has been actively working to meet the people in Luyang since 2013.

“My slogan ‘I will make the government work for you’ means I am actually the instrument for them to make the government work. I am the middleman, basically taking in everyone’s grouses, problems and resolving it through the government,” she said.

Dr Pamela added that after spending 13 years overseas, she came back in 2007 and started being involved in volunteer work and community work.

“Serving the community is where you get ideas on how to improve the livelihood of the people. I am standing for a state seat and I will look after the interest and the problems of constituents in Luyang.

“I hope the people will vote for someone who can serve them and improve their livelihood as well as resolve their problems, and not cast their votes based on emotion and sentiments and on issues which, as the state assembly representative, I cannot do anything about,” she said.