Nail-biting finish in Sabah polls race
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s ruling coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Barisan scooped 13 of the 25 parliamentary seats in the state as Parti Warisan fell short of becoming a kingmaker.
GRS won six seats – Papar, Sipitang, Ranau, Batu Sapi, Tawau and Keningau while Barisan Nasional picked up seven – Kinabatangan, Kimanis, Libaran, Beaufort, Kalabakan, Pensiangan and Putatan.
Based on unofficial results, Grsfriendly Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) led by Datuk Peter Anthony has wrested Kota Marudu through Datuk Wetrom Bahandar, who defeated Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili.
Riduan Rubin, who controversially joined KDM after filing his nomination as an Independent candidate, also pulled off a stunning upset to topple incumbent Noorita Sual of Pakatan Harapan, while staving off a challenge from early favourite, Barisan’s Jamawi Jaafar.
Wetrom’s younger brother Verdon also sprang a surprise when he defeated GRS’ Datuk Rudy Awah, who was heavily tipped to win Sabah’s northern Kudat parliamentary seat.
Wetrom, Verdon and Riduan are widely seen to be friendly to GRS, whose three component parties – Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu), Sabah STAR and Sabah Progressive Party – are components of Perikatan Nasional.
Perikatan also won the Beluran seat through Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee, who is Bersatu vicepresident.
Kiandee was fielded by Perikatan after being dropped from the seat-sharing arrangement between Grs-barisan.
Beluran was allocated to Barisanumno, whose candidate Benedict Asmat lost to Kiandee, who retained the seat for a sixth term since 1999.
Besides Ongkili losing his seat, the other significant casualties were Opposition Sabah Pakatan chairman Datuk Christina Liew, who lost her Tawau seat to GRS-PBS’ Lo Su Fui, while Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking lost to Datuk Ewon Benedick of Pakatanupko in Penampang.
Sabah state minister Datuk Yakubah Khan was also defeated by Pakatan-pkr’s Mustapha Sakmud in Sepanggar, where Warisan’s favourite incumbent, Datuk Azis Jamman, was also toppled.
The results also reflect Upko and KDM’S rise as native non-muslim bumiputra parties in Sabah, along with Sabah STAR, led by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who successfully defended his Keningau seat.
Ongkili and Joniston Bangkuai’s (PBS information chief ) defeats further dented PBS’ overall influence in the native Kadazandusun Murut and Rungus communities.
Bangkuai lost in his bid to unseat Upko president Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau, with Madius retaining the Tuaran seat with a margin of 233 votes.
Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who retained his Semporna seat with 20,810 vote majority, failed to hold on to the eight seats his party won in 2018.
Shafie’s brother, Datuk Yusof, won Lahad Datu while Kota Belud incumbent Isnaraissah Munurah Majilis defeated former federal minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan from Barisan-umno.