SEPANGGAR, May 8 — Once you pass the pothole-riddled entrance of the high density apartment complex of Telipok Ria, you are greeted by cars.

Cars are jammed into every imaginable space and line the two-way road till it becomes a narrow one-way lane just big enough for one four-wheel-drive vehicle to pass.

Units here go for between RM300 to RM700 and it is home to thousands of people, including a portion who have been resettled here from other parts of the state.

They are, by and large, among the 55 per cent of Muslim natives that make up the voter base in the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency and most had heard about the Warisan ceramah to be held there.

It wasn’t easy to find the ceramah though. It was held at the furthest end of about 30 apartment blocks, behind a row of shoplots, and barely visible from the road.

But venture closer and the unmistakeable sounds coming from a crowd of excited people could be heard.

It is past 10pm and Parti Warisan Sabah’s Sepanggar candidate Datuk Azis Jamman has just arrived and has taken to the microphone.

The audience takes to him with ease, and begin laughing and nodding to his every joke and jab at the government within five minutes.

To this motley crowd of people, it doesn’t matter that Azis is not a Sepanggar native, because it is likely that neither are they.

It also does not matter that his BN opponent, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, is from Kota Belud or that his party is the ruling government that has the resources that can offer BR1M and other incentives to the crowd.

In Azis’ speech, he highlighted that the crowd’s energy that night was second to none and thanked them for their willingness to show up despite the absence of lucky draws, handouts, hampers, or motorcycles.

"This is a sign that the people here want a change of government. This election, Sabah’s votes will decide the next government. We will be the government that can wrest away from Umno’s stiffening grip on Sabah.

"We want to be the generation that will create the fall of Umno across the country,” he said to raucous applause from the crowd.

But Azis reminded the crowd that they must remain steadfast and not be swayed by money politics when certain parties come knocking on their doors.

"When someone comes knocking on your door, offering money. Take the money. RM200, RM500, RM1,000. Take it. Wear the T-shirt and the cap, that is free. But don’t vote for BN.

"We are not stupid. Our political struggle cannot be put in monetary terms, it cannot be bought for RM500. You may be happy now, but you will be complaining and table thumping for the next five years,” said Azis.

The Warisan Youth chief also pointed out that Sepanggar is in the same constituency as the Chief Minister’s office, a 33-storey office building which costs RM388.7 million to build.

Azis said it was not right to have unregistered squatters and promised that the Warisan government would register all squatters in the area within 100 days of taking over government.

He promised that the government would abolish the unpopular Goods and Services Tax which has been blamed for a rise in costs of living nationwide.

On his party being the choice to take over the state government, Azis said that the formula was easy.

"For us, it is about rising up as one united force. We need to look outside our race box. We are known for our unity and tolerance, regardless of race so it is time we show it.

"Don’t vote for me because I’m a Bajau or a Muslim, or even because some say I am handsome. Don’t judge us by our appearance or looks, but because you believe we can topple the government,” he said.

He told the crowd that in West Malaysia, crowds of thousands have showed up in support the Opposition Pakatan, and that Sabah would be the deciding vote.

Sepanggar parliamentary seat is among the seats to watch as it grapples with some internal strife resulting from their dropped incumbent Umno MP Datuk Jumat Idris.

Azis had alleged that despite appearances, people within Umno were unhappy with Rahman Dahlan as the choice of candidate.

BN also has to win back the Inanam state seat which was won by PKR’s Dr Roland Chia in the last election but is now being contested by Kenny Chua.