‘IT WILL BE UMNO AGAINST WARISAN’

PBS will likely support former BN ally, says analyst

APOLITICAL analyst predicts that next month’s Kimanis parliamentary by-election will be a tough battle involving a multicornered fight.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah senior lecturer Dr Romzi Ationg said there will be a tussle between Parti Warisan Sabah and Umno.

As for Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), he said the party should not enter the race based on its performance in the Sandakan parliamentary by-election.

“It should, however, focus on helping the candidate of another party with which it has common interests.

“I don’t see PBS being the kingmaker in Kimanis, but they can play the role (of supporting any candidate),” he said yesterday.

With one week to go before nomination day on Jan 4, Warisan and Umno were expected to reveal their candidates by the end of the year or on Jan 1.

On Dec 25, PBS president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili said the party had not decided whether to contest the by-election and that its decision would be based on sentiments on the ground.

With Kimanis being a multiracial constituency, the party believed it stood a chance of being a kingmaker.

Umno, on the other hand, was eyeing a straight fight with Warisan, hoping that PBS would back out and support its former Barisan Nasional ally.

Romzi said the by-election would see a clash of views among Sabahans, especially on issues of credibility and transparency of parties in the government.

He also expected that contesting parties would raise key issues, such as the proposed Sabah temporary pass, the performance of the government and the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“(But) both sides should focus on the development agenda, which must be done (in Kimanis for the sake of) security and social harmony.”

Echoing this view is political analyst Dr Lee Kuok Tiung, who said the by-election would see Umno facing Warisan.

“I believe PBS will negotiate with Umno and let the latter contest. These two parties have a common ‘enemy’, so I’m sure they will compromise and work together.”

On issues faced by constituents, Lee said the rise in the cost of living and the Pan-Borneo Highway project, the construction of which appears to have slowed down after the 14th General Election (GE14), will be on their minds.

The by-election is being held after the Federal Court, on Dec 1, upheld the Special Election Court’s decision in August last year nullifying former Umno leader Datuk Seri Anifah Aman’s victory in GE14.

Anifah, who is now an independent, retained his seat with a 56-vote majority, securing 11,942 votes against Warisan candidate Datuk Karim Bujang’s 11,786 votes. Another candidate, Jaafar Ismail of Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, obtained 1,300 votes.

Early voting is set for Jan 14, while polling day is fixed for Jan 18.