Grudge match coming between former allies

Ewon Benedick (left) and Darell Leiking.

OPPOSITION voters in the semi- urban seat of Penampang near Kota Kinabalu are in a dilemma. For the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15), they have to choose bet-ween two Opposition parties: Parti Warisan, formerly an ally of the Pakatan Harapan coalition, and Upko, current coalition member.

The Opposition has held Penam-pang since 2013, when Datuk Darell Leiking of PKR defeated Barisan Nasional’s MP and Upko (United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation) president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

In GE14 in 2018, Warisan had an electoral pact with PKR so even though Leiking had jumped from PKR to became Warisan deputy president, he was allowed to contest in Penampang and retained his seat against Barisan.

So in each of the last two general elections, Opposition voters in this seat had one clear favourite: PKR in GE13 and Warisan in GE14.

Warisan formed the Sabah state government with Pakatan from 2018 to 2020, and it was part of the Pakatan Federal Government then. Now, though, Warisan has decided to sail solo, going against former ally Pakatan as well as enemies Barisan and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Why? Listening to explanations by Warisan and Pakatan leaders is like listening to a squabbling couple....

Warisan politicians told me that when they were in the Federal Government with Pakatan, the coalition did not fulfil its election promise of ensuring that 20% of oil royalties are paid to Sabah. Therefore, as a Sabah-based party, Warisan has decided to fight for the state on its own. On the other hand, Pakatan politicians said that Warisan just wants to win as many seats as possible so it will have the power to bargain for better ministerships in an Umno-led government.

Warisan leaders countered that by saying that Pakatan worked with Umno, PAS and Bersatu when it signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept 13, 2021, to keep Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on as Prime Minister, so why shouldn’t Warisan work with Umno if necessary?

The Penampang dilemma is playing out in Sabah’s other 24 parliamentary constituencies too. Opposition voters have to choose between Warisan and Pakatan in seats such as Kota Kinabalu, Sanda-kan and Tawau, which would, arguably, be sure wins for the Oppo-sition if there was a pact in place.

Based on GE13 and GE14 results, most Penampang voters are Opposition supporters. In 2013, PKR’s Leiking won with a 10,216 majority, and in 2018, while with Warisan, Leiking won by 23,473.

Warisan and Pakatan – which is currently comprised of PKR, DAP and Amanah – are equally strong in Penampang based on the 2020 state polls when Warisan and Pakatan were in a coalition called Warisan Plus. Moyog and Kapayan are two state seats; in the 2020 polls, DAP’s Jannie Lasimbang won Kapayan with 15,052 votes and a 13,163 majority, and Warisan’s Leiking got Moyog with 8,427 votes and a 5,935 majority.

Opposition voters in Penampang will now have to decide whether to vote for two-term incumbent Leiking, 51, or Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick, 39 – which means it will be a grudge match. In 2013, Leiking won against Upko president Dompok; can Benedick exact party revenge and win the seat back from the Warisan deputy president?

Benedick is the assemblyman for Kadamaian (his mother’s hometown), about 80km from Penam-pang. As such, he might be considered a newcomer by most Penam-pang voters. But he can claim to be a native of the seat as it is his late father’s hometown and Benedick grew up there before moving to Kadamaian.

“I’ve served my mum’s kampung [Kadamaian] well and continue servicing it. The Kadamaian people are the best judge of my service there.

“As a son, my responsibility is also to look after my dad’s memory. So I am ready to serve my dad’s kampung [Penampang],” said Benedick, an alumnus of SM St Michael, which is the school in Penampang.

The incoming Upko president said he is offering Penampang fresh leadership as an MP not only known to take up big issues – such as suing the Federal Government over Sabah’s 40% income revenue – but also as a grassroots leader as demonstrated by his service in Kadamaian.

“Upko has gone for rebranding, and this is the new leadership that we are offering to the rakyat, including the people of Penam-pang,” he said.

Leiking, who sent me a 1,098-word essay to explain his stand in GE15, said that his political mission is to cut all links with any peninsula-based parties or coalitions in Sabah.

“Some have laughed and criticised us as arrogant and hopeless dreamers for going it on our own in Sabah. I am not perturbed nor discouraged by them but am instead encouraged to make this mission a reality this GE15, come what may,” he wrote.

“Warisan’s offer is to Reset Sabah and to decide, post-elections, who can agree with Sabah’s terms and conditions before deciding on who to work with or form the Federal Government with.

“Hence, winning a large number of Sabah’s parliamentary seats is to ensure we form a Sabah parliamentary bloc ... to complete the ... agreed way in which Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia can jointly administer the Fede-ration,” he said.

Benedick, however, said Warisan has been talking a lot about pursuing Sabah rights, but it is only talking about Sabah rights in Sabah.

“I have never heard of them talking of these rights or the local party championing local issues when they launched their divisions in Penin-sular Malaysia,” he said.

So Opposition voters in Penam-pang will have to choose between Leiking, a former International Trade and Industry minister, and Benedick, a former state Rural Development minister. Between Warisan and Upko of Pakatan. Basically, they will be torn between two Opposition parties.