A family affair in three areas
Relatives take on each other in Senallang, Tambunan and Kota Belud
KOTA KINABALU: Two key Kadazandusun leaders in Parti Warisan Sabah will not be contesting any state seats in the general election while it is a family affair in Senallang, Tambunan and Kota Belud.
While Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking will only defend his Penampang parliamentary seat, which he won on a PKR ticket in 2013, party treasurer Terence Siambun has been dropped as Moyog assemblyman.
Terence, who also won his seat under the PKR ticket in 2013, was replaced by social worker Jennifer Lasimbang, described as the candidate agreed between Warisan and Sabah PKR in their seat-sharing deal.
Jennifer will contest under the Warisan symbol although the Moyog seat is allocated to Sabah PKR.
Both Terence and Jennifer hugged each other on stage after she received her appointment letter from Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal here yesterday.
Terence had beaten Jennifer’s brother, Barisan Nasional’s Philip Lasimbang, in 2013.
Another Kadazandusun party vice-president, Peter Anthony, will contest in the ethnic Murut-majority state seat of Melalap in Sabah’s interior Tenom.
Another vice-president, Likas assemblyman Junz Wong who crossed over to Warisan after winning his seat under the Sabah DAP ticket, has been moved to the Tanjong Aru state seat.
Announcing the candidates, Shafie has placed retired senior police officer Dumi Pg Masdal against his younger brother Datuk Yusof Apdal, the Barisan candidate for the Lahad Datu state seat.
Shafie himself will defend his Semporna parliamentary seat for the sixth term and take on his cousin Datuk Nasir Tun Sakaran for the Senallang state seat, who is also standing for the sixth time.
A family clash is also seen in the interior Tambunan seat where Justin Alip will take on his brother-in-laws – Parti Bersatu Sabah pres- ident Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Sabah STAR president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.
Justin, a former political aide to Pairin, is married to the Kitingans’ younger sister, Juliana.
For the Kota Belud parliamentary seat, electrical engineer Munirah Majilis will go up against her second cousin Datuk Seri Mohd Salleh Said Keruak while Warisan Youth chief Datuk Azis Jamman will take on Barisan’s Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan in the Sepanggar parliamentary seat.
As expected, former Unduk Ngadau (Harvest Festival Queen) Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas will challenge incumbent Kiulu assemblyman Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, a former journalist.
Newcomer and former police sergeant Asmara Abdul Rahman is the Warisan candidate against Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman in his Sungai Sibuga state seat.
Three former Barisan leaders are also in the Warisan line-up – former Sabah Barisan secretary Datuk Karim Bujang will take on Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman in Kimanis, former Liberal Democratic Party president Datuk V.K. Liew will contest in Batu Sapi while former Umno Sipitang MP Datuk Dr Yusof Yacob will vie for the Sindumin state seat.
Urging party members to accept the decision, Shafie said he had to sacrifice some key leaders in the seat-sharing deal with Sabah PKR and Sabah DAP.
Warisan will be contesting 45 of the 60 state seats in Sabah and 17 of the 25 parliamentary seats.
KOTA KINABALU: In the parliamentary constituency of Penampang, the Lasimbang family name is synonymous with social work and grassroots activism.
The Lasimbang family, comprising 13 siblings, is mostly known in the constituency for their work in engaging and empowering indigenous communities through PACOS Trust, a nongovernmental organisation that received a United Nations award last year.
This GE14, however, will see two Lasimbang sisters in the fray with Jannie, 55, and Jennifer, 44, standing as candidates for the Opposition.
Former Suhakam commissioner Jannie will be contesting the Kapayan state seat on a DAP ticket, while Jennifer will vie for the Moyog state seat on a PKR ticket but running under the Parti Warisan Sabah logo.
Their younger brother Adrian, 41, is also in DAP and Jannie’s election director.
The trio’s older brother Philip was Barisan Nasional’s Moyog assemblyman before losing to Warisan’s Terence Siambun, who won the seat on a PKR ticket.
Despite their political differ ences, the siblings believe that blood ties come before politics.
Jannie, who is former Sabah Bersih chairman, said it helps to have siblings in politics, as they provide her with moral support as well as an insight into the trade.
She described her family as her pillar of strength.
“Jennifer and I have been working together even before getting into politics. She was with Unicef then and I, too, held a position at the UN.
“Our mother, who was once with the nowdefunct Parti Berjaya, also gives us a lot of advice on how to be strong in politics,” said Jannie.
Adrian said it is important for the family to set aside their political ideologies and support each other.
“Our brother Philip is an experienced politician and provides us with much insight into the issues in Moyog.
“We have open discussions, despite not agreeing on some subjects ... In that case, we just agree to disagree,” he said.