Kota Kinabalu: Many holidaymakers found their visit to The Land Below The Wind more memorable as they witnessed the city’s “transformation” for the upcoming 17th Sabah State Election.
The vibrant sea of flags, posters, banners and billboards lining the streets added an unexpected layer of colour to their trip, offering a cultural experience quite unlike any they had encountered before.
For many first-time visitors, including Soma Krishna, 72, from India, the trip to Sabah was meant purely for leisure, but she only learned about the election upon arriving two days earlier.
“This is my first trip to Sabah, and it is so beautiful, the greens are so green, and the nature is so well preserved. It’s only after landing here that we know about the state election.
“India, of course, is a larger country with many more parties, so we see more posters and flags there. But here, they have displayed them very beautifully and aesthetically, not randomly or in a way that disfigures the state,” she said when met at Kota Kinabalu Central Market.
French student Alexis Lielievre, 21, who is travelling with his family, described the scene as “a bit overwhelming” compared to elections back home, which he said are really simple and mostly about campaigning and voting.
“In France, we have posters but not flags everywhere. Here, there are many flags along the road, and for us it feels unusual,” he said.
Australian tourist Julie Woolcott, 70, on her third visit to Sabah, said she noticed the surge of flags but was simply happy to relax and enjoy her holiday.
“I think about the waste, but it doesn’t affect my holiday mood. Sabah is still beautiful,” she said, adding that she travels to Sabah each year partly because dental treatment here is far more affordable than in Australia.
Another traveller from India, Shailaja Sharma, who is visiting for just four days, initially mistook the colourful displays for festive decorations.
“I didn’t realise it was for elections. In India, campaigns are very ‘in your face’ with big processions, but here, the atmosphere is very calm,” she said.
Meanwhile, local tourist Syamsina Abdul Manab, 38, from Perak, said she was aware of the polls but still went ahead with her travel plans.
“It feels livelier this time because there’s a state election happening, so I’m able to experience what the election atmosphere in Sabah is like.
“The streets are filled with colourful flags. There are so many of them...red, white and other colours, some I have never seen before. I understand there are many political parties in Sabah, so it’s quite interesting,” she said.
