Flu won’t stop Shafie from leading Warisan’s charge in Kimanis

Mohd Shafie Apdal, recovering from the flu, speaking to Bongawan voters last night.

KIMANIS: His voice has grown hoarse from all the speeches he has been making in front of hundreds of Kimanis folks over the past week.

The cough is getting worse after catching the flu at the start of the Kimanis by-election seven days ago.

But that has not dampened Mohd Shafie Apdal spirits as he leads Warisan’s charge to capture Kimanis, generating support for his man, Karim Bujang, in the Umno stronghold.

“Well, I’m quite okay although my voice is bad. I have been walking all day in almost all parts of Kimanis.

“But all these will not deter me. I have always been like this in politics.

“A little bit of cough and flu won’t stop me,” said Shafie, stating that he had been sleeping in his car in between campaign stops to recover his strength.

The 64-year-old Sabah chief minister also suffers from high-blood pressure and was hospitalised in between his court appointments when he was detained by graft busters ahead of the 14th general election last year.

There have been times before when reporters had hoped the soft-spoken leader would really speak up during press conferences. But when he takes to the mike to speak, all eyes turn to him and there will be pin-drop silence.

“I want to reach out to as many people as possible. We are still working hard,” Shafie said when asked how the Warisan campaign had been going.

It’s been seven days since campaigning started in the Jan 18 Kimanis by-election.

Kimanis, a Barisan Nasional stronghold, has been under Umno for more than three terms. Warisan is trying to break that record.

Both Warisan and Umno have been busy going to the ground trying to garner support from the 29,644 Kimanis voters.

Shafie said there is no area that Warisan could not capture as long as his party workers put their hearts into the work.

“I’m not going to predict how big our win will be. I am leaving it to the voters to decide who they want as their MP.

“But I am here to speak for our candidate, Karim. We have been in power for a year and nine months and there are about three more years until the next general election.

“So we want a leader who is genuine in trying to help the people,” he said. - FMT