Kuala lumpur: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate for the Sekong state seat, Puan Sri Diana Deigo Yusrina Sufiana, has pledged to prioritise education as a key agenda if elected in the 17th Sabah State Election. She emphasized the importance of educational initiatives in reducing school dropouts among children in Sekong, thereby aiming to improve the socio-economic condition of residents in the area.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Diana highlighted during a campaign talk at Kampung Bahagia, Batu Sapi, that some children in the area do not attend school due to a belief that education is not important. She urged parents, regardless of their background, to see education as a crucial pathway out of poverty.

The candidate, who is also the wife of former Dewan Rakyat speaker and USNO president, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, mentioned her plans to strengthen the industrial sector, viewing it as the economic backbone of Sekong. Additionally, Diana aims to establish a women’s community centre to serve as a one-stop hub for marketing products crafted by local women, addressing the lack of platforms for these creative entrepreneurs.

The Election Commission has announced Nov 29 as the polling day for the 17th Sabah State Election, with early voting scheduled for Nov 25.