The sleepy start to the Batu Sapi by-election campaign was jolted by a bit of drama this morning when PKR candidate Ansari Abdullah, his campaign manager, and an NTV7 journalist fell into the sea after a wooden jetty they were on collapsed.

Nobody was hurt.

NONE Ansari ( centre in photo ) managed to make his way to dry land soaked and unscathed, but his mobile phone and digital camera - valued at RM4,000, were damaged.

At a press conference later, Ansari revealed that he, a journalist and his campaign manager fell into thigh deep water during the incident.

“We were trying to leave Pulau Api and we saw an Umno and BN flag on the jetty, so we thought that the structure was safe for use,” he said.

"I warned the others not to get on it. Unfortunately, because the boat rocked, we fell into the sea," he added.

Although no one was hurt in the incident, Ansari cautioned the Sekong state assemblyperson Samsuddin Yahya to look into the matter and order the relevant government agencies to check and repair all jetties in Sandakan.

“What would have happened if it was the pregnant mother or children that were on the jetty (earlier) this morning?” he asked.

Ansari said that PKR later provided Pulau Api residents a small donation towards repairing the jetty.

'Blame it on BN'

According to one of the PKR campaign coordinator Sim Tze Tsin, Ansari was still in good spirits after the incident at Pulau Api.

"Ansari was insistent that he visit some of the poorest areas in Sandakan to appeal for votes. Despite the accident, he is in very high spirits.

"We don't see this as a bad omen. Instead it has clearly shows that the BN has failed to look after the populace, let alone bring development. They can't even maintain a jetty," said Sim.

Sim described Pulau Api as an island off the coast of Sandakan which has 227 Malay-Bajau voters who are living in dilapidated houses.

"The incident today shows that the government is not caring. People depend on this jetty every day. School kids use it on the way to school," he said.

Ansari, the Tuaran PKR division chief, is facing SAPP president Yong Teck Lee and BN candidate Linda Tsen in a three-corner fight for the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat.

Voting is on Nov 4.

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