Upko wants to field best candidates in Penampang

KOTA KINABALU: United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) intends to field the best candidates in its bid to recapture Penampang in the upcoming 14th general election (GE14).

Its acting president, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, asserted that Upko would want ‘young, vibrant and energetic’ candidates, who would be able to speak for the people of Penampang.

“We are doing our level best. They (the people) have this question about who would be the candidate. I can promise, and you can trust me on this, that we will offer the best candidate for the people of Penampang,” the Tuaran member of parliament told reporters during Upko’s Bible Knowledge textbooks presentation ceremony held at The Pacific Sutera on Friday.

“I think it is about time that the people of Penampang are represented by an assemblyman who is from the government,” Madius, who is also the Federal Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, said.

He assured the people that Upko would continue to stand up for the community, despite being in the government itself.

Of late, certain quarters have been pushing for Upko to announce its list of candidates for the next election. In this regard, Madius stressed that Upko is a component party of Barisan Nasional and would therefore prevail on the BN chairman to expedite the candidate selection process. As the BN chairman, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, had been given the honour to make the announcement, he would therefore only do so when the time is right.

In the event that any of the incumbent MPs and representatives wish to announce their resignation prior to nomination day, they are welcomed to do so, Madius added.

All three seats in Penampang are currently held by opposition parties. The seats, namely, the Penampang parliamentary seat, the Moyog and the Kapayan state seats are held by Darell Leiking (Warisan), Terrence Siambun (Warisan) and Dr Edwin Bosi (Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri), respectively. All three candidates had initially contested under different parties. Leiking and Siambun won their seats on the PKR ticket while Bosi won his seat on the DAP ticket.