TAWAU: The presence of Kalabakan Member of Parliament Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy at Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s (GRS) flagship campaign talk for Tanjung Batu candidate Dr Andi Md Shamsureezal Mohd Sainal (Dr Andi Rizal) sparked public intrigue—until he clarified the reason himself.
Suryady the former Tanjung Batu Assemblyman, said he attended simply to honour the organisers’ invitation and to show support for Dr Andi Rizal.
“I am here purely to respect the organisers’ invitation and to ‘endorse’ Dr Andi Rizal’s candidacy, as he was selected by the President of their party (GRS),” he said during his brief remarks at the Major Campaign Talk held at the SMJ Tanjung Batu Darat Arena Hall on Saturday night.
Also in attendance was another former Tanjung Batu representative, Datuk Hamisa Samat, who served three terms from 2008 to 2020. She too threw her support behind Dr Rizal, urging voters to choose a leader capable of delivering real results.
Dr Rizal said he was encouraged by the endorsement from two seasoned political figures who once helmed the constituency.
“Both of them are experienced politicians who know Tanjung Batu well, so I’m very pleased they support my efforts. I’ve also learned from their leadership during their tenure,” he said, expressing his commitment to drive the area’s development forward.
He outlined four core pillars of his vision: strengthening public health and wellbeing, improving household and economic stability, empowering youth, and enhancing local infrastructure.
Acknowledging that not every plan may fully materialise, Dr Andi Rizal said he remains optimistic through a combination of short-, medium-, and long-term strategies.
On whether Tanjung Batu’s history as a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold poses a challenge, he said expanding GRS’ voter base is now the priority.
“With youths making up around 60 per cent of Tanjung Batu, we are using digital platforms in addition to face-to-face engagement to reach as many voters as possible,” he said.
He added that he has been pleasantly surprised by the surge of young people wanting to get involved in politics and work alongside the coalition.
