Kota Kinabalu: Election rivals took their campaigns to the Sunday Gaya Street Fair to woo the thousands of visitors there. These include Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, who is making a comeback to his former State seat Likas, his contenders, Democratic Action Party (DAP) youth leader, Junz Wong and Barisan Nasional's (BN) Chin Shu Ying from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).
Yong was accompanied by SAPP Vice President, Melanie Chia who is also the Luyang incumbent, facing a four-cornered fight with Barisan Nasional's Datuk Agnes Shim and DAP's Hiew King Cheu.
Also making their rounds were PKR Kota Kinabalu divisional Chief, Christina Liew, who will face incumbent BN's Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai and Sabah Star's Chong Kat Fah.
Yong said the election campaign in Sabah will be a friendly one, unlike in peninsula as the social graphic and political atmosphere is different.
"I think in spite of the different political interest, they are still socially adequate.
You don't hear violence here. And this is a good thing.
"Although, the personal bashing do exist, but mostly in the Internet.
The cyber bashing are imported from West Malaysia and from DAP.
"Here we use the internet to talk about the issues but of course there are some name calling, but the personal attacks and vicious lies coming from the DAP young members, importing the ideas from West Malaysia," he said.
Still, Yong said almost all seasoned politicians in Sabah, know each other for many years and some were also former members of SAPP.
"Of course DAP's Jimmy Wong used to be in our supreme council, while Hiew King Cheu was also in the supreme council.
Christina Liew was also in MCA and PBS, so we know each other for sometime. Otherwise, the others were once in the BN component parties before," he said.
Junz meanwhile said: "Its interesting and good to bump into everyone.
And it was a nice day to meet all the opponent."
Most of the candidates spent about two hours greeting visitors and hawkers while distributing their party's manifestos.
