SABAH’s parliamentary seat of Kota Marudu may have been held by Barisan Nasional (BN) for the last five terms, but locals say they are ready to vote for change with the hopes of addressing rising poverty and unemployment rates.

The seat is held by Parti Bersatu Sabah’s deputy president and caretake energy, green technology and water minister Maximus Ongkili, whom many residents say is mostly “nowhere to be found”.

“Our MP Maximus Ongkili, it’s hard to find him around. He is constantly out of reach… Of course he is around during Christmas time, but aside from the merry-making, he is nowhere to be found,” said 55-year-old businessman Simon Jehain.

Jehain, who hails from Kg Marak Parak, where most of the residents are rubber tappers, said many are feeling the strain of the rising cost of living as their incomes have not increased.

While local tappers in West Malaysia enjoy a price of RM6/kg for tapped rubber, the Kota Marudu folks are only paid RM1/kg by the Sabah Rubber Industries Board.

“With the rising cost of living right now, how can we afford to put food on the table? So now people want change, they want a new man to be elected into office,” said Jehain.

Ongkili has managed to retain Kota Marudu for the past five elections, beating out PKR’s Maijol Mahap by a slim 842-vote majority in the 13th general election.

Now, the two men will face-off again in a four-cornered battle, along with Parti Warisan Sabah’s Barlus Mangabis and Parti Cinta Sabah’s Paul Porodong.

Kota Marudu has 47,007 voters, with Bumiputeras making up 91%, while Chinese 3%, Malays 5% and others 2%.

Stall operator Anita Bongkok, 52, said her four children had to venture out for work as there are not many employment opportunities in the district.

“Two of my children, a girl and a boy, are graduates. There was no work for them here. Even after they completed their studies in West Malaysia, for months they had gone without job.

“My son is now in Kuala Lumpur working and my daughter is in Kota Kinabalu,” said Bongkok.

She said most of the youth in the area had moved out to look for work, leaving their ageing parents.

“So how can I support this YB. They (BN) are incapable of creating employment,” she said. – May 3, 2018.