Former Pintasan assemblyman Datuk Fairuz Renddan (centre, in black jacket) seen with supporters at the GRS candidate announcement at the Sabah International Convention Centre in Kota Kinabalu today.
KOTA KINABALU: Former Pintasan assemblyman Datuk Fairuz Renddan says he will consult his supporters and party machinery before deciding whether to contest as an independent after he was not named as the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate for the seat.
Fairuz, who is also Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah youth wing chief, said he remained focused on serving the people and supporting GRS' campaign despite being dropped as a candidate.
He said the coalition's decision to field Usno president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia in Pintasan came as a surprise but added that he respected the party leadership's decision.
"I was told yesterday I would be the Pintasan candidate but at the last minute, I was told otherwise.
"It's okay, I accept it.
"I will meet the president (Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor) to seek his advice and discuss the next step," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Nov 12), adding that he would only make a decision after consulting his team.
He also claimed several local and Peninsular-based parties had approached him after learning he would not be contesting under GRS but he turned them all down.
"The party's struggle is what matters most," he said, adding that there is still work to be done in Pintasan, such as completing the distribution of pending land grants and community projects.
Fairuz first won the Pintasan seat in the 2020 state election with a narrow majority of 84 votes, defeating Pandikar.
Earlier on Wednesday, Fairuz was seen at the GRS candidate announcement event at the Sabah International Convention Centre here, dressed in a black jacket while all GRS candidates wore white, the coalition's official colour.
When Pandikar was announced as the Pintasan candidate, some booing could be heard.
Later, Pandikar said the booing heard earlier was not from his supporters.
"Those who booed are not my voters. My supporters are in Pintasan," he said.
