KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 14 — With 12 days to polling, Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president Datuk Seri Anifah Aman courted voters by telling them they could be "masters” in their home state if they chose his party.

The former Umno leader acknowledged that PCS is "new”, but expressed confidence in persuading voters to back his party.

"Although I agree that PCS is considered a new party, I am confident that we can attract the attention of the people of Sabah so that we can be the masters in our own state,” he told Utusan Malaysia in an interview published today.

Anifah, a former federal minister, also said that his party could not "afford” to make electoral promises to develop the state, unlike the major political coalitions Warisan Plus and Perikatan Nasional.

"I am not worried about that, but I do hope Sabahans, despite the current stressful situation can make a wise decision,” he added.

However, Anifah claimed that he would be able to meet the demands of Sabahans in the less developed interiors like Tenom and the state’s east coast like Sandakan and Semporna if the state election were to be held six months later.

Sabah will vote on September 26. Official electoral campaigning kicked off last Saturday with a colourful and a whopping 447 candidates for 73 state seats this time around.

Anifah, the younger brother of former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, took control of the Opposition PCS in July uncontested after his predecessor Datuk Wilfred Bumburing decided to give way.