Stretched Warisan looks to be the underdog

Ready to rumble: Bung Moktar (centre) gesturing with his supporters during a meeting with the Kinabatangan parliamentary election machinery in Kinabatangan. — Bernama

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan will be facing the fight of its life as it goes into battle in all 25 seats against former ally Pakatan Harapan and the GRS-Barisan coalition.

Warisan, which won nine seats in the 2018 general election, will have to contend with its president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s decision for the party to go solo this time around.

It is now seen as an underdog in multi-cornered fights where it will have to face Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) led by its former vice-president Datuk Peter Anthony.

However, nomination day in Sabah turned ugly when police resorted to firing teargas on KDM supporters who rioted when Anthony’s nomination papers were rejected over his criminal conviction – his appeal is still in the courts.

Sabah Barisan will field 12 candidates, GRS has 13 candidates, Pakatan (24) and Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) led by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has 14 candidates.

There are 20 Independents in the fray.

The GRS-Barisan electoral pact stayed intact, with only Bersatu vice-president Datuk Ronald Kiandee filing his nomination papers to defend his seat under the Perikatan Nasional ticket.

Kiandee, the Agriculture and Food Industries Minister, will face Benedict Asmat from Barisan.

In Ranau, former federal minister Datuk Ewon Ebin filed his papers on a Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) ticket to go against GRS’ incumbent Datuk Jonathan Yasin.

PBRS, a Barisan component party, was not allocated the seat under the GRS-Barisan seat-sharing pact.

Sabah Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin is the only candidate in Sabah involved in a straight fight.

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He will defend his Kinabatangan seat, hoping for a seventh term, against Warisan’s Mazliwati Abdul Malek Chua.

Parti Bersatu Sabah president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili (GRS) is in a six-cornered fight as he also goes for a seventh term as Kota Marudu MP.

Ongkili, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, will be in a tough fight against Bandau assemblyman Datuk Wetrom Bahanda of KDM and Warisan’s Jilid Kuminding as well as candidates from Pejuang and Muda.

GRS’ Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is being challenged in his bid to retain the Keningau seat by KDM candidate Datuk Jake Nointin, a former Keningau Warisan division chief, as well as Warisan’s Rasinin Koutis.

Pakatan’s Upko president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau is also bidding to hold on to his Tuaran seat, where GRS’ PBS candidate Datuk Joniston Bangkuai and Warisan’s Joanna Rampas are among the six candidates in the field.

Shafie, who is defending his Semporna parliamentary seat and hoping for a seventh term, will be in a four-cornered fight with GRS’ Nixon Abdul Habi among his opponents.

Barisan’s PBRS deputy president Datuk Arthur Kurup has an uphill task to defend his Pensiangan seat against Pakatan’s Datuk Sangkar Rasam and Warisan’s Noorhasmahwatty Osman, among others, in a five-cornered fight.

Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking is also facing stiff competition to keep his Penampang seat against Pakatan’s Datuk Ewon Benedick and GRS-Sabah STAR candidate Kenny Chua Teck Ho.

Leiking won the seat by over 10,000 votes in GE14.

Former federal minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan is hoping to make a comeback in Kota Belud in Barisan’s fight against Warisan’s Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis in a three-way fight for the Umno stronghold.

DAP’s Kota Kinabalu incumbent Chan Foong Hin will be defending his seat against GRS candidate Yee Tsai Yiew from PBS and Warisan’s Amanda Yeo, among others, in a five-cornered fight.

Two state ministers, Datuk Yakubah Khan and Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, will be Barisan’s candidates for the Sepanggar and Putatan seats held by Warisan and Pakatan, respectively.

Sabah Pakatan chief Datuk Christina Liew will be involved in a six-way fight to defend the east coast Tawau seat against, among others, Warisan’s Chen Ket Chiun and GRS’ PBS candidate Lo Su Fui.

Sabah will see seven six-cornered fights in Kota Marudu, Tuaran, Papar, Beaufort, Libaran, Sandakan and Tawau.

Ten five-cornered fights will be seen in Kudat, Sepanggar, Kota Kinabalu, Kimanis, Ranau, Pensiangan, Beluran, Batu Sapi, Kalabakan, and Tenom.

There will be four-cornered fights in Putatan, Penampang, Keningau and Semporna; and three-cornered fights in Kota Belud, Sipitang and Lahad Datu, with only Kinabatangan seeing a straight fight.

For the Bugaya state seat by-election, seven candidates filed their nomination forms, including Warisan’s Jamil Hamzah and Barisan’s Abdul Aziz Mohd Ibno.

The by-election is being held due to the death of its Warisan incumbent assemblyman Manis Muka Mohd Darah two years ago.