KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah's (GRS) Johainizamshah Johari is keen to contest the Lamag state seat again in the upcoming by-election, saying he is driven by a wish his late mother hoped to see fulfilled.
Johainizamshah, the deputy Lamag division chief for Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), was the GRS candidate there in the Nov 29 state election.
He said his mother passed away on Thursday (Dec 11), and offering himself as a candidate again was a personal decision as well as a commitment he felt compelled to honour.
"Yes, I am keen to offer myself again as the GRS candidate if given the opportunity by the party leadership," he said.
"It was one of my late mother’s wishes to see me serve as the Lamag assemblyman, and that is something I hope to carry forward."
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In the recent election, Johainizamshah secured 1,646 votes in a six-cornered contest for the seat, which was won by Barisan Nasional’s Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin with 3,908 votes.
Johainizamshah said feedback from the people, particularly on basic infrastructure, youth opportunities and community development in the largely rural constituency, had also strengthened his resolve to continue serving them.
The constituency has more than 13,000 registered voters, with about 8,300 of them aged between 18 and 41, making young voters a significant voting bloc in the by-election.
The by-election was triggered by the death of Bung Moktar, who was the Lamag assemblyman and Kinabatangan Member of Parliament, on Dec 5.
The Election Commission has set Jan 10 as nomination day, Jan 20 for early voting and Jan 24 as polling day for both by-elections.
