KOTA KINABALU: The excitement of the 17th Sabah state election is reaching its peak as political parties compete to host concerts, artist performances, and casual programmes to attract young voters during the final nights of campaigning ahead of polling day on Nov 29.
Previous elections saw political rallies dominating the final week, but this year’s atmosphere is far livelier, with several parties opting for an entertainment-based approach to woo young voters, a group widely regarded as crucial in determining the outcome in many state constituencies.
On the evening of Nov 23, the Lamag state seat came alive when legendary singer Datuk Amy Search rocked the stage in a programme organised by Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
In Kota Marudu, well-known artists such as Ronnie Hussein, Lan Typewriter, Man Kinabalu, and Yassin Senario enlivened the ‘Santai Anak Muda Marudu’ (Marudu Youth Chillout) programme, held in collaboration with Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for Bandau, Zaidi Jatil.
The family-oriented entertainment event drew an overwhelming response, with the majority of attendees comprising young people and families who took the opportunity to relax and take photos with the artists.
At the Moyog state seat, ‘Konsert Mega Remysta Harapan’ organised by PH candidate Remysta Jimmy Taylor is set to steal the spotlight tonight, featuring performances by the popular group ‘Atmosfera’ at Buhavan Square, Donggongon town.
In Bandau, PH candidate Zaidi Jatil will wrap up his political campaign with a ‘Meninguk Wayang Bersama Anak Muda’ (Movie Night with Youth) programme at 9.30 pm today.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior fellow, Associate Professor Dr Bilcher Bala said the entertainment-focused campaign trend has become increasingly prominent in the final stretch of Sabah’s state election, as it aligns with the shifting preferences and behaviour of young voters.
He said the presence of artists not only attracts party supporters, but also music fans who previously had little interest in political rallies, thus creating greater opportunities to convey campaign messages and party manifestos.
“In traditional campaigning, political rallies don’t attract much attention, especially among young people. When we include entertainment or artists, it means fans will come, even if they are not supporters of the party organising the event.
“When we bring in artists, everyone comes mainly to see them, but at the same time, they also listen to the speeches and campaign messages from the parties organising the event,” he told Bernama today.
Bilcher expects more concerts and entertainment programmes to be organised in the remaining days leading up to polling.
Voters aged between 18 and 39 make up 53.8 per cent of Sabah’s 1,784,843 registered voters, making youths and young adults the largest deciding bloc in the 17th Sabah state election.
The Election Commission has set Nov 29 as polling day, while early voting takes place on Tuesday.
