The BN needs to figure out why a group of supporters staged a walkout yesterday when the coalition named Linda Tsen Thau Lin as candidate for the Batu Sapi by-election on Nov 4.

Mohd Shafie Apdal, an Umno vice-president, said the BN needs to “work out” its supporters’ grouses if any, but in the same breath played down the significance of the walkout by a large group of bumiputera supporters.

“The last time the NONE late Edmund (Chong) was there as a candidate too, but I suppose we have to find out what’s the reason they did that,” he said today after officiating the graduation of Tabika Kemas pre-school children in Kg Gas, Batu Sapi.

The mass walkout was staged after Sabah BN chief and Chief Minister Musa Aman announced Tsen’s candidacy.

Prior to the incident, about 50 bumiputera supporters had staged a protest in the parking lot of the hotel where the announcement was made, holding up placards demanding a bumiputera candidate for the by-election.

Shafie, who is Semporna MP and the federal Rural and Regional Development Minister , acknowledged that it is not possible to please everyone but noted that neither is it unusual for some dissatisfaction to crop up.

“There might be some grouses on the ground, it’s normal in politics. We can’t have (support at) 100 percent, but we have to work it out.

“... I’m quite sure the support is there. The concept of power sharing under BN has been well practised in Sabah, so there shouldn’t be any problem.”

He also indicated he is bullish about the BN’s chances going into the by-election.

House calls ‘work better’

Shafie stressed, however, that the BN machinery should consider scaling down its events, focusing instead on making personal calls to voters’ homes.

NONE “What is important is mobilising from house to house and embracing the community, instead of holding big events which sometimes don’t hit the target. We go direct to the voters, that’s very important,” he said.

At the Tabika Kemas event, Shafie urged voters in the village to give their undivided support to BN and Tsen come polling day.

“Tomorrow is nomination day, so I hope you will give support to BN. And for the husbands who are not here at this event, please whisper in their ears to support the BN,” he told the crowd, made up mainly of mothers.

Shafie also handed out food aid to poor villagers, courtesy of the government agency Felcra.