Musa leads Sabah BN in poll fight

 

 

 Musa filing his nomination papers

 KOTA KINABALU: The battle has begun. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Haji Aman once again is leading the Sabah Barisan Nasional in the general election.

Polling has been fixed for May 5.

Accompanied by thousands of supporters carrying BN flags, Musa who is also Sabah BN chief arrived at the nomination centre at the Libaran multi-purpose hall at about 9am yesterday.

Also present were the Chief Minister’s wife Datin Seri Hajah Faridah Haji Tussin as well as his proposer Datuk Basrah Abdul Rahman and seconder Mokhran Ingkat.

Musa is defending the Sungai Sibuga state seat he won in 2008 in a five-cornered contest. The other four contestants are – Irwanshah Mustapha of PKR, AM Jafar @ Damaid Juana of SAPP, independent candidate Mohd Arshad Abdul and Mohd Roslan Yussof of STAR in Sungai Sibuga.

Elsewhere, all the leaders of Sabah BN component parties also filed their respective nomination papers yesterday morning for this 13th general election.

It is a three-cornered contest in Keningau where PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan is defending his parliamentary seat.

The Huguan Siou who is also a Deputy Chief Minister faces again his younger brother – Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan who is chairman of Sabah STAR as well as Stephen Sandor of PKR.

Pairin won the seat with a majority of 4,264 votes at the 2008 general election.

In Penampang incumbent MP Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, the president of UPKO, faces PKR’s Darell Leiking and Melanie Annol ofSTAR.

And, in Pensiangan, incumbent PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup takes on three others in a four-cornered contest.

Kurup’s opponents are Martin Tomy (STAR), Richard Sakian Gunting (PKR) and independent candidate Fatimah Binti Agitor.

Hot seat Sandakan will see a one-on-one contest between LDPpresident Datuk VK Liew and Stephen Wong Tien Fatt of DAP.

The 53-year-old Liew, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department won the seat in 2008.

And also in Sandakan, Gerakan vice president Datuk Raymond Tan who is Industrial Development Minister, faces Frankie Poon Poon Ming Fung of DAP and Yong Chee Man Yu Chee Man of SAPP in Tanjung Papar which is a state seat.

Raymond’s party colleague Au Kam Wah is also defending his Elopura seat in a three-cornered contest. His opponents are Liau Fook Kong of SAPP and Hiew Vun Zin of DAP.

Sabah MCA chief Datuk Edward Khoo is defending his Kepayan state seat and he faces Philip Among @ Daniel Dell Fideus (STAR), Dr Edwin Bosi (DAP) and Chong Pit Fah of SAPP.

Khoo, an Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department won the seat with a majority of 2,062 votes in 2008.

Another interesting contest is in Beaufort where former UMNOsupreme council member who now heads Pertubuhan Pakatan Pertubahan Sabah (PPPS) is facing Community Development & Consumer Affair Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun of BN and STAR’s Guan Dee Bin Koh.

Lajim won the seat on a BN ticket in 2008 by a majority of 10,914 votes.

In Semporna, UMNO vice president Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal who won the seat with a majority of 17,462 votes, faces Dr Zamree @ Mohd Suffian Abdul Habi of PKR and independent candidate Datu Baharuddin Tun Mustapha.

Sabah UMNO deputy chief Datuk Salleh Tun Said who replaced the incumbent Datuk Japlin Akim, is up against Bakhruddin Ismail ofSTAR and Mustapha @ Mohd Yunus of PKR.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Yahya Hussin is facing PKR’s Mohd Yunin Atin and Awang Ahmad Shah of STAR in defence of his Petagas seat.

Yahya, the Sabah UMNO secretary, won the seat with a majority of 6,700 votes at the 2008 election.

Source : New Sabah Times