Tenom: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) is seen as having the best chance to recapture the Melalap State seat in the 17th State Election (PRN17) on Nov 29, held by Datuk Peter Anthony of PKDM but is now serving jail sentence for corruption.
PBS Melalap has reportedly proposed a Tenom native candidate who meets all the criteria and leadership characteristics that coincide with the aspirations of the people.
The Melalap seat was won twice by Peter representing Warisan in 2018 and 2020. Peter later left Warisan after forming the Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM) in February 2020.
However, Peter, who is also the former Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister, was disqualified and is serving a prison sentence for being convicted of forgery of documents after the Court of Appeal rejected his review application.
The survey found that sentiment is growing stronger among voters in the Murut Timugon majority area to have an elected representative from their own community.
Strong local grassroots support is an important key for PBS which is actively trying to win back Melalap after losing to Warisan since 2018.
Melalap was previously represented by a Murut Timugon leader for four terms from 1999 to 2018, namely Datuk Seri Panglima Radin Malleh, former Sabah Rural Development Minister and former senior PBS Vice-President.
Radin’s defeat in the last election ended PBS’ dominance in Melalap and also ended the era of service of Murut Timugon community representatives in the Sabah Cabinet since 2004.
Of the total 21,300 voters in Melalap, 14,600 or 68.5 percent are Murut Timugon, 2,650 voters (12.4pc) are Chinese, 1,480 voters (6.9pc) are other Sabah ethnicities, 1,200 voters (5.6pc) are Malay, while the rest from other communities.
Majuntim Jungaton said the community does not only want a Melalap native leader of Murut Timugon descent, but one with extensive experience in the public service and corporate sector.
He said, the candidate that PBS will feature in Melalap is also well-known, adopts a people-friendly approach and is proactive in getting directly involved in various development initiatives at the grassroots level.
“Other parties are not popular with the people of Melalap. The sentiment of the local residents in this month election is to correct their “mistake” of electing a representative who is not originally from Tenom in the last election.
“The voters are disappointed and aware of the mistake of electing a representative from Warisan (later PKDM) who failed to fulfil its responsibilities to the people of Melalap.”
Rick Marthel Julian said the voters in the Melalap area are tired of outside candidates or ‘parachutes’ who do not understand the local reality.
He found that the spirit of regionalism is growing stronger in Melalap, with the sentiment “Our Home, We Care” becoming the mainstay of the local community spirit.
Nur Qalesya Ruhanan believes that the slogan (our home, we care) expresses the desire among the younger generation and first-time voters to jointly shape the future of Melalap.
