KOTA MARUDU: The Community Democratic Party (KDM) is optimistic about achieving its target of winning 15 seats in the 17th Sabah State Election (PRN), scheduled for November 29.
Its Deputy President, Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, said that as a new party, KDM must be rational in setting its victory targets, but current developments indicate that support for the party is on the rise.
He mentioned that the wave of voter support for local parties is now a key factor strengthening KDM’s position compared to previous state elections.
“Yes, our target is actually between 10 to 15 seats, and if we secure more, that would be a bonus. Initially, we expected to win over 20 seats.
“However, given the current situation and the people’s desires, there are sometimes grassroots levels that require ‘something’ to vote, which may reduce our winning rate.
“As a new party, we need to be rational, and our target should be 10 to 15 seats. But we are very confident that this party will easily achieve the target of 15 seats,” he said.
Wetrom added that KDM’s confidence is further bolstered by the clear spirit of change among the people, particularly the desire to choose local parties without relying on money politics.
The Kota Marudu MP further noted that KDM has unanimously proposed him as Chief Minister if the party succeeds in forming the State Government after the 17th Sabah PRN.
However, Wetrom acknowledged that the current political reality does not allow a single party to win a simple majority of 37 seats, thus necessitating political cooperation to form the Sabah State Government.
In the 17th Sabah Election, KDM is fielding 40 candidates, with about 70 percent being new faces, while the remaining 30 percent are young candidates.
Source – Astroawani
