Elections always leave a trail of stories. For me, the arc from PRU12 Tumpat (2008), then PRU14 Pasir Puteh (2018) to PRU15 Gerik (2022) reads like a lesson in contrasts: three campaigns, but very different contexts, outcomes and comforts. Tumpat felt less foreign because it was, in many ways, DAWD’s family ground. Even though we weren’t long‑time party activists, relatives, friends and shared local habits made the abruptness easier to absorb. Food, dialect, small courtesies, they smoothed first impressions and helped us blend quicker than expected. Gerik was different. Announced barely three days before nomination, there was no runway: no preparatory visits, no warm-up with local constituencies, and few known faces among party volunteers. The campaign period, two intense weeks, became our only window to connect, explain and persuade. When you arrive late, two things happen simultaneously: you race against time, and you must build trust while listening more than talking. There’s a...