GE15: Candidates intensify campaign trail for Penampang hot seat

KOTA KINABALU: Candidates battling for the Penampang hot seat have stepped up their election campaign with packed schedules lasting up to just before polling day.

Parti Warisan deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking, who was looking to retain the seat for a third term, had been given a tough challenge as he faced his old friends Kenny Chua of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan’s Datuk Ewon Benedick.

Completing the four-way tussle is independent candidate Richard Jimmy who hoped to create surprise in the contest for the semi-urban seat.

But the main fight was anticipated among the trio of Leiking, Chua and Benedick who were all once allies in the Warisan-Pakatan-Upko (Warisan Plus) state coalition government.

Leiking, who is also Moyog assemblyman, had kicked-off his campaign trail right after nomination, speaking during the noon event and later at a supporter’s residence at night.

The former international trade and industry minister was slated to speak in a number of venues this week including at the heavily populated Cyber City in Kepayan on Nov 11.

Besides that he was scheduled to go on walkabouts including at the Donggongon traditional market and Taman Suria, another area with a high concentration of voters.

Leiking achieved a giant-killing feat after knocking out Tan Sri Bernard Dompok on an Opposition PKR ticket in the 2013 general polls when the latter was a sitting federal minister and then Upko president.

On other hand, Chua, who was Sabah STAR vice president, would be speaking in a host of GRS polling district centres (PDM) including in Kobusak, Hungab and Inobong which were home to many Kadazandusun voters.

Chua, a former state assistant finance minister in the Warisan Plus government, was part of a group of assemblymen who switched camps to support former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman in his bid to take over the state government led by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal in July 2020.

However the attempted coup failed after Shafie called for a snap Sabah state election in which his Warisan Plus eventually lost to the then loose GRS coalition on Sept 26 that year.

The former Inanam assemblyman is seen to have an outside chance of winning the seat, having previously been the Penampang PKR division chief before he was sacked for his part in the failed coup.

Benedick, who was Kadamaian assemblyman, was also keeping himself busy with daily night and day schedules on his plate.

This included a tentative visit on Nov 15 to the Terian and Buayan villages, which were remote areas deep in the jungle located about two hours through a dirt road from Penampang.

Dompok was also scheduled to speak in Benedick’s campaign trail in a bid to canvass votes for the former state rural development minister whose late father hailed from Penampang.