GE15: Ongkili raring to go in Kota Marudu despite being called ‘sick’

KOTA MARUDU – Incumbent Kota Marudu MP Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili is not perturbed by being called a “sick man” by his opponents.

Comments urging for his retirement have not stopped the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president from going all out in his campaigns.

“I may be 69, but I can still run from the dogs if they charge at me,” he quipped.

Ongkili also assured his supporters that he had sought medical advice before deciding to join the fray in the 15th general election.

“Before I made my decision (to contest), I did medical check-ups, went to IJN (National Heart Institute) and discussed with specialists. Thank God, they told me I am well and fit to go for campaigns.

“So, here I am, ladies and gentlemen, at your service,” Ongkili, who suffered a stroke in July 2020, told a crowd at a rally here.

Ongkili, who is flying the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah flag, is in a six-cornered fight to defend the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat against four opponents from political parties and one independent.

He was the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs before the dissolution of Parliament last month.

His contenders are Datuk Wetrom Bahanda of Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, Sharizal Denci (Muda), Datuk Jilid Kuminding (Warisan), Pejuang’s Mohd Azmie Zulkiflee, and sole independent candidate Norman Tulang. – The Vibes, November 11, 2022