Bersatu also wants to field candidate in Kimanis bypoll
Published on: Sunday, December 08, 2019
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan), which is allied to Pakatan Harapan, should discuss about the possible contenders for upcoming Kimanis parliamentary by-election with PH component parties to arrive at a consensus.
Making the call, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) Sabah Election and Strategy Director Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin (pic) said the action of Warisan in not having any discussion but laying claim to the seat outright was regretted.
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Lajim was commenting on a recent statement by Warisan Sec-Gen. Loretto S. Padua Jr who said there would be no compromise with other allied component parties on the nomination issue “because Kimanis is a Warisan seat”.
“Loretto specifically said ‘no compromise’. As an allied party to PH, Warisan should have a discussion with other parties in PH to reach an agreement on this matter. Until now, no such discussion was held,” Lajim said, in a statement.
Loretto issued the statement a day after the Federal Court rejected the appeal of Datuk Seri Anifah Aman on Monday (Dec 2) to set aside the Election Court ruling.
Lajim said Bersatu Sabah would nominate a candidate to the party leadership as well and that this was unanimously reached at a Bersatu Kimanis election machinery meeting at Borneo Golf Club, Bongawan, recently.
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“The election candidate from Bersatu should be given the chance to contest because we have identified the issues that will be raised by the opposition apart from the active movement of Bersatu members at committee level up to branch level.
“Hence, we are appealing to the party leadership to make the appropriate consideration due to the demand and calls from the grassroots in Kimanis,” Lajim said. However, he said Bersatu Sabah would support and assist any candidate from Warisan or PH allied-party to ensure the Kimanis parliamentary seat would not fall to opposition hands.
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The Federal Court upheld the Election Court ruling nullifying Anifah’s victory in the last general election, thus paving the way for a by-election in the constituency.
A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Tan Sri Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat unanimously dismissed Anifah’s appeal.
Warisan election candidate for Kimanis parliamentary seat Datuk Karim Bujang filed a petition on June 18, last year, to challenge the election result.
Anifah, a former foreign minister, won the seat with a slim 156 votes, or a total of 11,942 votes in a three-way fight against Karim who secured 11,786 votes and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah’s Jaafar Ismail who garnered 1,300 votes.
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