The ceramah was cancelled around 8.15pm, after the village was plunged into darkness, while Tadius Gidong was addressing a crowd.

Former chief minister Chong Kah Kiat was in attendance at the ceramah and left at 9.30pm

Chong, who is LDP honorary life president, said he came to the village to explain what the party was championing and its direction.

He said he had visited the village some 20 years ago as the tourism minister to officiate an orchid park. “But I have not seen much change since then, with little amenities and facilities like clean water. Just imagine, this village is located in town yet it does not have access to clean water supply.”

Chong, who is standing in Inanam, said villagers often complained about flash floods every time it poured. “Like now, if it continues raining for two hours, the water would rise.”

In Penampang, the MCA candidate in Kepayan, Lu Yen Tung, also had to end his walkabout in Donggongon earlier than expected because of heavy rain.

Lu, who is Sabah MCA chief, was scheduled to meet voters at 7pm.

A campaign event by a Warisan Plus candidate in Kampung Kolam, Bukit Padang, which was attended by Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau, was delayed for 40 minutes because of bad weather.

PBS has scrapped a walkabout on Pulau Gaya, a 10-minute boat ride from the city, which was scheduled for tomorrow. “For safety reasons we had no choice but to postpone the visit by the candidate, Louis Lai to Pulau Gaya and Lobong,” said the party’s media liaison, Sandra Sokial.

The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rainfall in Sabah on Tuesday and Wednesday in the interior (Kuala Penyu and Beaufort), west coast (Papar, Putatan, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran and Kota Belud) and Kudat as well as in Labuan.