Don’t support party-hopping candidates, says Sabah CM

KOTA KINABALU: Penampang folk in support of Opposition candidates who jump parties after winning their seats will be on the losing end, says Tan Sri Musa Aman.

Supporting such candidates, the Chief Minister said, would be of no benefit to them.

“They have brought no development to the (Penampang) constituency. You must not support these candidates who jump.

“The people will be the losers,” Musa told the crowd at the Sabah MCA Pesta Angpow in Dongonggon here yesterday.

On the contrary, Barisan Nasional candidates – whether they are from MCA, Upko or Parti Bersatu Sabah – stayed and worked for the development of their constituencies, Musa said.

He was referring to PKR’s Penampang MP Darell Leiking and Moyog assemblyman Terrence Siambun, and DAP’s Kapayan assemblyman Dr Edwin Bosie. All left their parties after winning the seats.

The semi-urban Penampang seat saw former Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok unseated by Leiking while ex-Sabah MCA chairman Datuk Edward Khoo lost the Kapayan state seat to Dr Bosie.

Upko’s Datuk Philip Lasimbang also lost the Moyog state seat to PKR’s Siambun.

Both Leiking and Siambun are now with Parti Warisan Sabah while Bosie is with Parti Anak Negeri.

Despite Penampang being held by the Opposition, Musa said the Barisan government had continued to help the constituents because it did not look at political differences as the criteria for development.

The Prime Minister, he said, had approved RM400mil to help overcome flooding in Penampang.

Musa pointed out that Sabah MCA deputy chairman Datuk Francis Goh, who is among those speculated to stand in Kapayan, had been working hard for the people in Penampang.