New Straits Times

ONE-ON-ONE FIGHTS IN 3 SEATS

Remaining 82 seats involve three-cornered contests and more

- MOHD IZHAM UNNIP ABDULLAH thaddius@nstp.com.my

ONLY three seats comprising a parliament­ary and two state constituen­cies in Sabah will see a one-on-one contest in this 14th General Election.

The remaining 82 seats, which included 24 parliament­ary constituen­cies, involved three-cornered fights and more. One of the straight-fight seats is Senallang, which sees cousins Semporna Umno acting chief Datuk Seri Nasir Sakaran and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal challengin­g each other.

The other two are the Elopura state seat and Sandakan parliament­ary seat, with BN candidates facing DAP candidates.

The Merotai state seat will see a seven-cornered fight, while eight seats will see seven-cornered fights (two parliament­ary and six state seats). In total, 349 candidates, including five contesting in parliament­ary and state seats, handed their nomination papers yesterday, with 85 representi­ng Barisan Nasional and 264 from the opposition, including 13 independen­ts.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, who is Sabah BN chairman, will defend his Sungai Sibuga state seat against Warisan and Parti Kebangsaan Sabah candidates in a three-cornered fight.

Parti Bersatu Sabah president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is deputy chief minister, will defend his Tambunan state seat, which he has held since 1976, against his younger brother, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) president Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, and brother-in-law Justin Alip (Warisan), as well as a Parti Cinta Sabah candidate.

United Pasokmomog­un Kadazandus­un Murut Organisati­on acting president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau will defend his Tuaran parliament­ary seat, while Liberal Democratic Party president Datuk Teo Chee Kang is defending his Tanjung Kapor state seat.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, who is Kimanis Umno chief, is being challenged by his former party division deputy Datuk Karim Bujang in a three-cornered fight for the Kimanis parliament­ary seat, the other challenger being Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah’s Jaafar Ismail.

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