Sabah polls: Better to let someone from Kota Belud contest Tempasuk seat, says Abdul Rahman

KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (pic) turned down the chance to be Barisan Nasional’s candidate for the Tempasuk state seat in order to give way to possible local candidates from Kota Belud.

The Sabah Umno deputy chairman said that he had informed Umno president and Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi of his intention.

“I believe that a local candidate from Kota Belud Umno will be able to shoulder this responsibility with excellence,” he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (Nov 12) evening.

“I have conveyed to the president that I wish to give way to new faces and local sons of Kota Belud to represent Umno in the Tempasuk constituency,” he wrote.

Rahman, who is from the neighbouring Tuaran district, said that he had contested three times in the Kota Belud parliamentary seat (2013, 2018 and 2022).

“I won twice and lost once. In all three contests, Umno consistently secured the votes in the Tempasuk constituency even when we lost the parliamentary seat,” said the former federal minister.

As a party member, he said that he would continue to assist the party in other capacities.

Rahman was named as the Tempasuk candidate on Sunday (Nov 9).

Sabah Barisan Nasional-Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin confirmed earlier Wednesday that Rahman has informed the party that he was withdrawing as a candidate.

Bung Moktar said that Kota Belud Umno division chief Azwan Norjan will replace Rahman as the candidate.

The Tempasuk seat is held by Gagasan Rakyat's Datuk Arshad Bistari, who won the seat on Barisan-Umno ticket. He is being refielded.