TUARAN : – Despite a busy schedule filled with campaigning and meeting voters door-to-door, KDM Kiulu candidate Gundohing Henry Saimpon found time to attend the Convocation Ceremony at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Johor today.
The native of Kiulu is one of the recipients of a Master’s Degree in Political Science.
Henry is participating in a multi-cornered contest for the DUN Kiulu seat in the Sabah State General Election on November 29 (this Saturday).
His political commitments have not hindered Henry’s pursuit of success in education.
Through diligent effort, Henry initially earned a Diploma in Political Science from UTM before continuing his studies to obtain a Master’s Degree from the same university.
“I am grateful that after working hard for several years, I have finally completed this master’s degree program.
“I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to the lecturers for their guidance, knowledge, and encouragement throughout my studies.
“I also want to thank my family for their invaluable moral support and sacrifices.
“I hope this success serves as an inspiration to continue achieving excellence in the future, including in the political arena,” he said when contacted after the convocation ceremony.
Before entering the political arena, Henry, a former midfielder for Sabah football team, was actively involved in the management of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the Kadazan Dusun Murut Malaysia Association (KDM Malaysia), where he currently serves as the Deputy President.
Henry, 50, began his career with the Sabah Premier League team in 1997.
He later donned the Johor FC jersey in 2002 before returning to play for Sabah from 2004 to 2009.
In 2019 to 2020, Henry was appointed as the Manager of the Sabah Football Team.
His management skills were evident when Sabah emerged as the Premier League champion, thus qualifying for the Super League.
In 2018, Henry, hailing from Kampung Bongol, Kiulu, began to venture into the political arena.
His involvement in politics became more pronounced when he was appointed as the Vice President of the Democratic Community Welfare Party (KDM) in 2023, which was then led by Datuk Peter Anthony.
Recently, Henry launched seven core manifesto points for the people of the Kiulu State Assembly.
These seven points focus on enhancing infrastructure development and public facilities, empowering the agricultural industry, prioritizing land ownership for local residents, and accelerating the PANTAS system.
Also highlighted are the elevation of sports, boosting the economy including eco-tourism, education and welfare, as well as promoting local customs and culture as the identity of the Kiulu community.
