SANDAKAN: The controversy over Kedah exco member Mansor Zakaria’s remark about Sabahans and Gardenia bread has been blown out of proportion by unreasonable individuals, says Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin
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The Leader of the Opposition, who is also Deputy President of Bersatu and Deputy Chairman of PN, said the matter should be put to rest now that Mansor has apologised and taken responsibility for his words.
“I think that was just an issue that was raised and then blown up by unreasonable people. Sometimes things like this are not something that makes people think whether it’s really true or whether it’s just being played around with by those who hear it.
“Sometimes his intention was different, but by the time it reaches our ears, we feel it becomes something that doesn’t make sense. However, he has already apologised, and he feels that it was something that caused a mistake on his part, so we should accept it. Forgiveness should be given to someone who has taken responsibility for what he said.”
He said this when met after launching the PN event in Taman Mawar on Monday night (Nov 16) to support its candidate Mohd Fazriee Awang.
Last week, it was reported that Mansor Zakaria, who sits on the state executive council for housing, health and local government, had apologised for the comment he made during a state assembly sitting on Wednesday, following strong backlash online.
“I apologise for my remarks on Wednesday and I withdraw them. With sincere intent, I retract what I said if it offended the people of Sabah,” Mansor was quoted saying.
Meanwhile, Hamzah said the unusually large number of candidates in the 17th Sabah election is a clear signal that many Sabahans have reached a breaking point. He said people who are struggling with rising costs and daily pressures now want a real chance to change the direction of the state.
“The huge number of candidates shows how deeply frustrated Sabahans have become. People are no longer willing to accept the way things are. They want a better future and they want the power to choose it,” he said.
Hamzah said the event drew a strikingly high turnout from Chinese voters, which he believes reflects a powerful mood across Sabah. According to him, many people feel they have no choice but to step forward as candidates because leadership issues have directly affected their livelihoods.
He also said that Sabahans once felt they had the freedom to question decisions and speak up. But today, many feel that space has shrunk, and this has pushed them to take their future into their own hands through the ballot box.
The 17th Sabah election has seen a record 596 candidates contesting 73 seats, including ten nine-cornered fights, nine ten-cornered fights, six eleven-cornered fights, four thirteen-cornered fights and one fourteen-cornered battle for a single seat.
