KOTA KINABALU, March 27 ― Jannie Lasimbang is better known for her work in championing human rights than making bold political statements.

In regional activist circles, people know the former Bersih 2.0 vice-chair as strong-willed, competent and fair-minded, with vast knowledge in indigenous cultures across the world.

Despite her position as the Sabah DAP women chief, Lasimbang admitted that politics is a new field to her.

"I think one of the things that has changed the most is that I have to learn how to talk myself up more. I’m used to promoting my organisation, but not myself,” the 55-year-old who is tipped to contest the Kepayan state seat this GE14.

A biochemist by training, Lasimbang dove into community work when she joined a team working with the Sabah Christian Movement that was tasked with a five-year project to study Sabah’s poor.

There she began a 25-year career in human rights work that took here around Sabah, Asia and the world negotiating for better indigenous and human rights policies.

"Much of my work is going to the ground and fighting for native communities to be recognised and be given rights. Then it is up to the  governments to adopt these policies for their people,” she explained.

She said she became disillusioned with the state government for failing to protect the rights of the natives after just two years working in Sabah, and later on again in 2010 when she was appointed a commissioner with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.

"There were so many promises and pledges made over the decades to look after the people, give them their land, accord them identities and provide them with access to schools and healthcare. Many of these fall through in the end,” she said.

In her line of work, good ideas and policy end with the government of the day.

Her gripe is that the BN government has neglected some very basic human rights and freedom of expression.

"We work very hard to come up with recommendations for better policies for the people but it is pointless if the government don’t adopt them. Sometimes they agree in principle but it never ends up being taken up,” she sighed as she sipped her cup of kopi-O at the coffee shop just a short walk from her house across a hanging bridge in Kasigui, Donggongon.

She also talked about her first-hand experience of what she felt was selective persecution after she was charged with unlawful assembly, and which the prosecution decided to appeal after the court acquitted her.

"At the end of the day, I truly believe that the country needs a change in the system, and that requires a change of government,” she said.

Lasimbang said she was courted by several political parties, but had her eye on DAP, which, according to her, was the one party that had been consistently helpful with her causes throughout her NGO days.

As a native rights champion, most would have assumed she would join a Sabah-based party but Lasimbang said she had several reasons to choose DAP as her political home including their belief in women, a simple leadership structure, their action-orientation philosophy and their interest in taking up native causes.

"I always knew my cause had to be fought at a national level,” she said, although she was quick to add that she did not join politics to stand as a candidate.

"I came in to mobilise the women’s wing, something that I was really looking forward to doing. It is not easy with little resources, in addition to my own campaigning,” she said.

"In Sabah, women seem to be reluctant to join politics, especially the younger generation. We sometimes have older women who step up in politics, because they are less encumbered after their children grow up and they can fight for their children or grandchildren,” she said.

Lasimbang has 12 siblings, including brother Philip, a seasoned politician with BN who was Moyog assemblyman up to the last election, and who according to her, was supportive of her decision to join politics.

"He is as supportive of me as we were to him throughout his political career, even though we have different political affiliations. I think for us, family comes first,” she said.

The Kepayan struggle

As a former village and security head of Kampung Nampasan, Lasimbang is confident that her experience with working with the district office and district council will come into handy when dealing with her voter’s problems.

Used to dealing with land rights and native customary titles, she feels a change of pace with complaints on drainage systems and rubbish collections which are common with urban areas.

"My work here will be about urban town planning ― there are still squalid squatter areas, recurring flooding in some housing areas. I feel like there is no proper thought and planning. We are in the heartland of the Kadazan, and people here are very proud, but they feel like the urban poor,” she said.

 Her struggle with be for better building policies and bylaws, something that one of her likely opponents, MCA’s candidate Datuk Francis Goh, will be familiar with given his experience as a property developer.

Lasimbang alleged that her opponent’s style is to use money to resolve problems and suspects he may employ the same method in the election.

"But this style of winning votes is against our principle and actually an offence. I think a good candidate is sincere in helping the people. People ought to know better than to vote for someone who gives cash handouts,” she said.

As for incumbent Dr Edwin Bosi who had won on a DAP ticket but is now with Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri, Lasimbang hopes he can come to an agreement with her party for them not to run against each other.

"He is a very seasoned position and I think he can probably win wherever he contests. Personally we have always had good relations so I hope we don’t clash,” she said.

When asked what her strengths were, Lasimbang said her track record speaks for itself.

"I think people know I’m very stable ― I’m not in in for the money or the power. I have always been about community issues and I have international work experience. I don’t just talk ― I’m a do-er,” she said.

Since her entry into politics early last year, Lasimbang has felt some changes to her lifestyle. For one, she is getting out more.

"I used to be at the keyboard a lot, writing a lot of reports in my last job. But now I’m getting out so much ― there’s a lot of walking involved, building machinery and talking to the people on the ground ― I enjoy it. I think I am healthier now.

"But funnily enough I think the biggest change is definitely learning to talk about myself more and getting people to notice me, especially in the media. In the NGO work, we can be direct, but now I have to speak with more courtesy,” she laughed.

The one place it has taken its toll is on her family life. The mom of one said that she has had to sacrifice family time and the emotional toll is something she feels men are usually not as burdened by.

"I find it manageable because I have got my family’s support. But I can imagine it is very tough for women, I only have one child, and it is so tiring to juggle work and family.

"It’s odd ― people usually want to settle down at my age, but here I am doing this now at my age. Thank God for massages,” she laughed again.