KOTA KINABALU: Upko eyes to defend its two incumbent Parliament seats and discuss the possibility of contesting with its coalition partner Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), the party president Datuk Ewon Benedick said.
“We will certainly inform our partners in GRS that we want to contest the Penampang and Tuaran parliament seats; we will discuss additional seats,” he said when reporters asked if Upko would seek more seats in the coming election.
Ewon, who is Deputy Chief Minister III, is the incumbent for the Penampang seat while former Upko president Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau is the Tuaran MP.
When asked whether the party might swap seats with its GRS partners, he said that it could happen.
In recent months, political circles have speculated about the possibility of Upko swapping its Penampang seat for the Kota Belud parliament seat which is part of Ewon’s Kadamaian state seat.
Speaking to reporters at UPKO’s 32nd Anniversary Celebration and 17th Triennial Delegates Conference at Hongkod Koisaan Hall in Penampang near here, Ewon did not comment on the possibility of switching to Kota Belud only saying that seat swaps have happened in the past.
“My current Kadamaian seat was a swap for Bingkor previously. These things can happen, we will cross that bridge when we get there,” he said, adding that for now their focus was on their delegates meeting and attending their first GRS supreme council meeting on Monday (Aug 10).
Upko, which left the Pakatan Harapan coalition to contest solo in last November's Sabah election, formally joined the ruling GRS state government as a member party in June this year.
At the delegates meeting, Ewon was returned unopposed as party president for a second term.
