(From left to right) Leiking, Benedick and Chua to battle for Penampang seat.
KOTA KINABALU: Former federal minister Datuk Darell Leiking will be up against his old friends in a four-way battle to contest the Penampang parliamentary seat.
The Parti Warisan deputy president will be facing Pakatan Harapan candidate and incoming Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s (GRS) Kenny Chua Teck Ho, both of whom were Leiking’s mates during the Pakatan-Warisan administration.
Richard Jimmy, formerly of Sabah STAR, is the fourth candidate, standing as an independent for the seat.
Leiking said it will be a tough fight to win Penampang.
“It’s very difficult to say what are the chances but in this case we’re the small party unlike my friends who are in a big coalition.
“I would need to work hard. I would say I have the underdog status, that is not an exaggeration.
“I hope the best for Penampang and I hope the people will make their choices after listening to all of us,” he said.
Chua, who was sacked from PKR after being part of a group that attempted to topple the Warisan-Pakatan-Upko government in 2020, said he was facing two giants in Leiking and Benedick.
“Darell is my friend and brother as well as Ewon but anything can happen in politics. We have our own halatuju (direction).
“I have served as the Inanam assemblyman before and now I hope to serve Penampang,” he said.
Benedick said he never expected to face his close friends, adding it will be a friendly contest between them.
“I don’t believe in personal attacks. I will only talk on the policies and the governance,” he said.
Their respective supporters cheered as returning officer Francis Chong announced after nominations closed at 10am that no candidates were rejected.
There are 74,593 electorates in the Penampang seat which has a majority of non-Muslim bumiputra voters.
