RANAU: The people of Paginatan Constituency decided to replace their former Assemblyman for three seasons, Datuk Abidin Madingkir with a new face, Datuk Rusdin Riman
(pic) who won the seat with 5,992 votes.
The Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM) candidate faced a 10-cornered contest including Abidin who was defending the seat on a GRS ticket, as well as Ranau Umno Division Chief Datuk Junaidi Sahat, who iunder the Barisan Nasional (BN).
The former Permanent Secretary in the State’s Finance Ministry stressed that human capital development through quality education would be a priority, with a focus on providing better access to education for young people in Paginatan.
He also proposed the establishment of a skills hub to provide training to local youth, thus opening up more job opportunities.
To improve the well-being of the people, Rusdin also outlined the urgent need to strengthen basic infrastructure, especially the maintenance of village roads, in addition to ensuring that electricity and clean water supplies can be consistently channeled to the interior areas.
The manifesto also focused on streamlining public service governance. Rusdin stressed his commitment to providing transparent, fast and people-friendly services if given a mandate, while ensuring that every complaint and community need is given immediate attention.
In terms of the rural economy, he pledged to empower women and rural entrepreneurs through entrepreneurship support and business opportunities to boost local economic growth in a more just and inclusive manner.
Meanwhile, the health sector was also given attention through plans to upgrade facilities such as clinics and facilitate access to treatment. He also planned to expand community health programs to ensure the well-being of all levels of the Paginatan population.
“It is time for us to make a change and this is the time for us to move in a better direction
“I cannot do it alone; I need the support of the people of Paginatan to jointly develop this area. Our strength is not in one person, but in all,” he said.
The Sabah general election is expected to see fierce competition in Paginatan with a large number of candidates and various political coalitions offering their respective agendas to voters.
The N38 Paginatan DUN has 26,881 registered voters. Based on 2020 data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, Bumiputera makeup 98.6pc of Ranau’s citizens, followed by Chinese (0.9pc), and others(0.4pc).This reflects the Kadazan-Dusun cultural core that defines the highland population.
It is predominantly rural,with communities engaged in agriculture, forest-based livelihoods, and eco-tourism initiatives along the eastern hills of Ranau.
The seat was won by Datuk Abidin Madingkir of Star in the last election obtaining 3,783 votes with a majority of 1,323.
The three constituencies’ economic strengths lie in agriculture, tourism,and small-scale industries.
Paginatan focuses on livestock and agroforestry. Educationally, Ranau hosts 71 primary schools and 11 secondary schools, serving more than 19,000 students.
As Sabah gears up for the Nov 29 state polls, the highland constituencies of Kundasang, Karanaan, and Paginatan remain crucial for any coalition seeking to dominate the interior.
With their blend of tradition,resilience,and growing aspirations for development, Ranau continues to represent the enduring spirit of Sabah’s mountain people.
