KOTA KINABALU: Former federal minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan is set to contest the Tempasuk state seat as Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan firm up their electoral seat sharing for the Sabah election.
According to sources, Abdul Rahman was Sabah Umno’s choice to retake the Tempasuk seat won by Barisan-Umno’s Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari, who defected to the ruling Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah in January 2023 following Umno’s withdrawal of support for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
It is learned that the Gum Gum seat in Libaran would be contested by PKR with Sabah Umno making way for the coveted seat as they were keen to field Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir, who is also Sabah Umno information chief.
Sabah Barisan has also allowed PKR to contest the Sindumin seat where former Sipitang MP Datuk Yamani Hafez Musa, the son of Sabah Governor Tun Musa Aman, is speculated to be PKR’s top choice as candidate for the seat.
Another seat in contention, Segama seat in Lahad Datu has also been given to PKR under the seat-sharing arrangement, the sources said.
Sources also indicate that, for now, the four-party Sabah Barisan led by Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin has agreed to contest 43 of the 73 seats in their seat arrangement in return for not contesting against Pakatan candidates.
The sources explained that the seat arrangement would see PKR contest 12 seats, DAP contest seven seats, Upko two seats and Amanah one seat under the Pakatan banner while Umno is expected to contest 38 seats, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) four seats and one seat for MCA in Tanjung Kapor, though discussions are ongoing for the Karamunting seat.
Both Barisan-MCA and Pakatan-PKR are eyeing the Karamunting seat that was won by Parti Warisan’s Datuk George Hiew, who has since defected to Gagasan Rakyat.
However, other sources said that Sabah Pakatan has yet to resolve its seat arrangement with DAP which held seven seats including its original six and the Tanjung Aru seat. Upko gets to defend its Kadamaian held by its president Datuk Ewon Benedick with Moyog as an additional seat.
Both DAP and Upko have been posturing to contest on their own logos as both parties clamour for more seats.
Both Barisan and Pakatan are expected to announce the final list of candidates this weekend ahead of the Nov 15 nomination for the Nov 29 Sabah election.
Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud has said that the party will contest between 10 and 12 seats, depending on negotiations with GRS led by caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Among the seats expected to be contested by PKR were Gum-Gum, Karamunting, Segama, Merotai in east coast Sabah and Inanam, Petagas, Api-Api, Sindumin and Melalap in west coast and interior of the state.
Mustapha, who has been on a political tour of the seats PKR is eyeing, said that the party’s political bureau and supreme council meeting to be chaired by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was scheduled to be held here on Sunday (Nov 9) before any candidate announcements were made.
Hajiji recently said that the overall seat-sharing pact between GRS and Pakatan is more or less settled but did not rule out friendly contests in a few seats.
GRS and Barisan have agreed to go against each other's candidates.
