KOTA KINABALU: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) senior lecturer Dr Bonaveture Boniface will replace state Rural Development Minister Datuk Jahid Jahim in the Tamparuli seat for the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
Boniface was one of the last four GRS candidates announced by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor on Thursday (Nov 13). His coalition would contest 55 seats in the upcoming Sabah Election, while its electoral partner, Pakatan Harapan, would contest 18 seats. The election was scheduled for Nov 29.
Jahid, the deputy president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), has been recovering from a stroke and has decided to opt out. The party has recommended Boniface as the candidate for the seat located on the foothills of Mount Kinabalu.
For the Bingkor seat, Rafie Robert Tawik has been named to replace his father, the state minister of Youth and Sports Datuk Robert Tawik, who was among the five Sabah STAR assemblymen to leave the party when Dr Jeffrey Kitingan pulled out of GRS on Oct 1.
The senior Tawik, who was the deputy president of Sabah STAR, was also reported to be recovering from health issues and had voiced his intention to retire.
For the Kukusan seat held by Warisan defector to GRS, Datuk Rina Jainal, Hajiji named Samsiah Usman as the candidate for the seat in Tawau.
Another former Warisan renegade who aligned himself with GRS, Datuk Hassan A Gani Pg Amir, would be re-fielded by GRS in Sebatik.
“All our candidates are talented, experienced and have good political backgrounds. I am confident that they will be able to win their seats,” said Hajiji, who on Tuesday (Nov 12) named 51 GRS candidates, holding back the announcement for the last four.
He urged party members to unite and support all GRS candidates to ensure the coalition gets a fresh mandate to return to the state government.
