BN to retake Tamparuli — survey
TUARAN: After more than a week of campaigning and with polling only a day away, voters would have by now made up their minds on who or which party to vote for.
A random survey here showed that Barisan Nasional (BN) should have no problem retaining the Tuaran parliamentary and the Sulaman and Kiulu state seats and even retake Tamparuli from the opposition.
In fact, Tuaran BN chairman Datuk Seri Hj Hajiji Hj Noor recently expressed confidence that the ruling coalition would be able to do it with an even bigger majority.
“Winning is no longer the question; we are looking at a larger majority,” the Tuaran Umno chief was quoted as saying.
Echoing his view was deputy Tuaran BN chief Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau who is defending his Tuaran MP seat.
In 2013, the acting Upko president defeated among others former minister Datuk Wilfred Mojilip Bumburig who stood on a PKR ticket. Bumburing however later left PKR and is now president of Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS).
Bumburing is not contesting in Tuaran again and is replaced by PCS senior leader Datuk Kalakau Untol. Kalakau is no newcomer to local politics, having been Tuaran MP from 1986 to 1990 during the PBS era. He was even made a federal deputy minister.
Kalakau was also once the leader of the influential United Sabah Dusun Association (Usda), a position now held by his brotherin-law Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin who incidentally is the BN/Upko candidate for Ranau.
But political observers do not expect Untol to do better than Bumburing. They pointed to the fact that Bumburing’s decision not to stand again must be due to his realisation that there was no way for BN to lose Tuaran, given the massive Umno/Muslim votes of Sulaman.
It is an open secret that Tangau won with the help of Sulaman which explained his 5,190-vote majority in 2013.
“He actually ‘lost’ in Tamparuli and Kiulu which together with Sulaman make up Tuaran,” observers pointed out.
However, Tangau has been working hard in the past five years and his elevation to the status of a federal minister three years ago helped, they explained. They expect his majority this time to be between 6,000-7,000, regaining some lost ground in Tamparuli and Kiulu.
In neighbouring Tamparuli, incumbent Bumburing is defending his state seat; albeit on a different ticket, this time his own PCS party. In 2013, standing on a PKR ticket Bumburing defeated among others BN/PBS’ Datuk Jahid Jahim the incumbent assemblyman who was also an assistant minister.
Observers expect Jahid to retake Tamparuli for BN.
“Firstly, Jahid lost only by 383 votes in 2013.
“Secondly, Jahid has been working hard since his loss and his position as Community Development Leader for Tamparuli (PPM) helped. On the other hand, there was not much Bumburing, being an opposition assemblyman, could do. Neither was he seen as often as Jahid.
“Thirdly, in 2013 Bumburing won because the opposition was united and everyone voted for PKR thinking that it would form the government. But this time round, the opposition in Tamparuli is fragmented. Even his former party PKR is contesting against him,” said an observer.
Back to Sulaman, which has all along been associated with Tuaran proper, BN/Umno candidate Datuk Seri Hj Hajiji Hj Noor is defending his seat for the seventh time. He first won it in 1990 on an Usno ticket (Umno was new in Sabah then) before switching to Umno in 1994 till now.
Hajiji is the caretaker Minister of Local Government and Housing, Sabah BN and Umno treasurer and Tuaran Umno divisional chairman. He is not likely to be unseated in the foreseeable future.
Someone once remarked that “if Hajiji were to be defeated in Sulaman, the Sabah Umno can close shop.” That speaks for itself.
Hajiji’s majority in 2013 was 10,441 votes, one of the highest in the Sabah assembly seat. His majority this time round is expected to be 11,000 upwards, given his popularity and increasing number of former opponents joining Umno.
Over in Kiulu, incumbent Datuk Joniston Bangkuai is defending his seat for the second time which he first won in 2013. The former journalist won with a razor-thin majority of 44 votes against a PKR candidate. Just like in Tamparuli, Kiulu voters then thought that PKR would form the government.
Among Joniston’s opponents this time round is former beauty queen and singer Eurasian Jo Anna Sue Henley Rampas who is standing on a Warisan ticket. Observers can’t help but notice that Jo Anna is a niece of Datuk Louis Rampas, the former Kiulu assemblyman whom Joniston replaced.
“Louis had been Kiulu assemblyman since 1999 and his being replaced by Joniston at the last moment did not go down well with Louis’ supporters and that perhaps explained his thin majority,” they explained.
They added that the newlyelected assemblyman Joniston also made the ‘mistake’ of challenging Louis for the Kiulu PBS divisional chairmanship. Joniston lost and Louis is still in control until today.
“Being new and younger than Louis, Joniston should perhaps be a bit more patient and concentrate on his duties as assemblyman. After all, Louis being much older is not going to be around forever,” the observer pointed out.
However, how Jo Anna’s being Louis’ niece would help her or otherwise remains to be seen.
In the meantime, Joniston has been working hard since 2013. His position as chairman of Sabah Tourism Board helped. He maximised that position to promote eco-tourism in Kiulu and tourists arrival in Kiulu has doubled if not tripled in the past two to three years.
Joniston also successfully persuaded the state government to declare Kiulu a subdistrict, something which his predecessors failed to do. Another feather in his cap was the recent visit by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to Kiulu, the first by a Prime Minister.