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P.175 Papar

N.27 Limbahau

This was one of the 13 new seats and contested for the first time in 2020. It is in the Papar district neighbouring Kawang constituency. This is now a 9-cornered fight.

The incumbent is Datuk Juil Nuatim of GRS. He won the seat on a Warisan ticket in 2020. He later joined Datuk Peter Anthony’s PKDM. He left PKDM to be an Independent Assemblyman and is now contesting on a GRS ticket. 

In 2020, he polled 5,194 votes to win the 8-cornered fight. His closest rival was Johnny Mositun of PBS who got 2,671 votes. All the other candidates got less tan 500 votes each and assumably lost their deposits. 

By right, Juil’s toughest opponents are expected to be SAPP’s Datuk Edward Dagul and Warisan’s Roger @ Roy Valentine Amandus. Then last minute Upko’s Datuk Nelson Wences Angang joined in.

Edward is a SAPP deputy president and was Chairman of Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort. Nelson, a lawyer, is Upko secretary-general and is a Senator (Member of the Upper House of Parliament). 

Among the two Independent candidates is Linda Beda Dunstan who seems to be an enterprising lady.

Will Juil be able to take Limbahau away from Warisan and give it to GRS? He has the full backing of GRS in Limbahau and Papar of course especially Papar MP and Federal Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali. 

Edward is a native of Limbahau and Papar and has been active in the area since a long time ago. He however did not contest in 2020 as SAPP had a pact with PBS then.

Edward comes from a political family, his father being active during Berjaya time. Nelson also comes from a political family. His father is Tan Sri Wences Angang, a former Deputy Chief Minister. Wences was a PBS Assemblyman for  Kuala Penyu but later joined Tan Sri Bernard Dompok in Upko.

N.28 Kawang

This is a 5-cornered fight. The incumbent is Datuk Ghulamhaidar Khan who has been the Kawang Assemblyman for 20 years. He first won in 2004 on a BN-Umnoticket. Then he became an Independent Assemblyman, then Bersatu and now PGRS.

He was ever an Assistant Minister and is now Director of the Sabah Foundation. In 2020, standing on a PN-Bersatu ticket, Ghulam collected 7,747 votes against his nearest rival Musli Sapan of Warisan who got 2,653 votes. 

Ghulam’s daughter IS married to Tun Musa Aman’s late son.

This time around, among Ghulam’s challengers is Warisan’s Nin Jellih. Also in the fray is a lady, Beverly Natalie Koh of Star. If I am not mistaken, she is the daughter of a Kadazan former newscaster of RTM.

The reason for Star to field her is obviously because Kawang has a sizeable number of Kadazan votes. If the Muslim votes are divided among the other candidates, you get the picture.

To prove my point, the first Kawang Assemblyman from 1976 to 1985 was a Kadazan and a Christian, the late Datuk Fred Sinidol who was the late Tun Fuad Stephen’s brother-in-law.

His successor Wenche Lajingah was also a Kadazan. But he served only from 1985-1986 as he was one of the six assemblymen who betrayed PBS. The rest is history.

Then, Datuk Ariah Tengku Ahmad took over from 1986 to 1994. Then Tan Sri Osu Sukam of Umno took over from 1994 to 200 He was first a Federal Minister and later CM for two years under the rotation system. 

N.29 Pantai Manis

This is a 7-cornered fight. It is essentially Papar town and ends at Pantai Manis which literally means Sweet Beach. It was created in 1999, carved out from Buang Sayang. When the late DSP Matnor Mansoor was the Assemblyman during Berjaya time, it was known as Buang Sayang.

The first Pantai Manis Assemblyman was DSP Abdul Rahim Ismail of BN-Umno. He held it for almost 20 years. In 2018, Datuk Aidi Moktar of Warisan won and he became the Law and Native Affairs  Minister. However, in 2020 Umno won it back through Mohd Tamin Zainal.

Also in 2020 Aidi Moktar did not defend his seat. In his place was Datuk Ir Yahiya Ag Kahar, an engineer who held the posts of Deputy Director of PWD and Director of the Sabah Drainage & Irrigation Department. He got 4,430 votes as opposed to Tamin’s 5,116 votes. Majority was only 686.

This time around, Aidi is back as the Warisan candidate in a 7-cornered fight and by now he is 70 years old. In 2018, Aidi polled 9,234 votes against Rahim’s 7,126 votes. 

Before becoming a candidate in 2018, he was the Chief Judge of the Sabah Syarie Islamic Court. It is equal to a Chief Judge in a Civil Court. He was more than qualified as he has had Islamic studies since young, culminating in the prestigious Al-Azhar University in Cairo.

But it may not be that easy for Aidi, with due respect, to win back the seat for Warisan. His toughest opponent is expected to be Datuk Hj Pengiran Saifuddin Pengiran Tahir Petra of GRS.

Pg Saifuddin is a lawyer and held positions in various government departments and agencies culminating in his appointment as GM (later CEO) of Sedco in recent years.

He has been Deputy Chairman of PGRS Pantai Manis assisting Rahim Ismail for sometime now. He is also active in the Sabah Brunei Association. He can give Aidi a run for his money.

Tamin is not fielded by BN-Umno this time around. In his place is Redzuan @ Garin, a former policeman turned businessman. He is Vice-Chairman of Papar Umno who has in the meantime gained a degree in management and administration.

Star has fielded lawyer Richard Vitales @ Charles. If the name Vitales sounds familiar, it’s probably Datuk James Vitales, former Petagas Assemblyman and former Assistant Minister. Probably his brother or uncle or cousin. Hailing from Papar, James was also a lawyer. I stand to be corrected. 

P.176 Kimanis

N.30 Bongawan

This is a 9-cornered fight. Bongawan is one of the two State constituencies that make up the Parliamentary seat of Kimanis, the other being Membakut.

The incumbent is Dr Daud Yusof of Warisan. He first won it in 2018. He polled 6,912 votes. His nearest rival was Datuk Mohamad Alamin of Umno who got 6,117 votes.

After Warisan formed the government Dr Duad was made an Assistant Minister of Agriculture & Food Industry; appropriately so as he is a vet doctor, if I am not mistaken. 

In 2020, Dr Daud won again, polling 5,400 votes. His closest rival was PCS president Tan Sri Anifah Aman who got 3,598 votes. But Warisan failed to form the government again and Dr Daud lost his job as Assistant Minister.

This time around, both Mohamad and Anifah are having a rematch with Dr Daud. Mohamad, also the MP for Kimanis, is still standing on an Umno ticket while Anifah is using the GRS symbol. His PCS is a component of GRS.

Something in common between Anifah and Mohamad is that the former was Malaysian Foreign Minister for close to ten years when Najib was PM while Mohamad is the current Deputy Foreign Minister.

Actually, Mohamad was the Bongawan Assemblyman from 2013 but he lost to Dr Daud in 2018. Mohamad had a revenge of sorts when he won the Kimanis By-Election in 2020, defeating Datuk Karim Bujang of Warisan.

Although this is a 9-cornered fight, all eyes are on Dr Daud, Anifah and Mohamad, with due respect to the others. Anifah is brother of the Governor, TYT Tun Musa Aman.

N.31 Membakut

This is a 10-cornered fight. The incumbent is Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif of GRS. He first won it in 2004 on an Umno ticket, meaning he has been Membakut Assemblyman for 20 years. He is now a Vice-President of PGRS, a component of GRS.

In 2020, Arifin won Membakut for the 5th time, polling 6,363 votes. His nearest rival was Kamaruddin Hamid of Warisan who got 2,942 votes.

This time around, Arifin among others is facing Mohamad Said @ Ismail Sait of Warisan, Rusman Dulamit of BN, and Rowindy Lawrence Odong of Upko. Rowindy has been with Upko President Ewon Benedick for quite sometime.

When Ewon was Sabah Rural Development Minister, she was his Special Officer.

In the 2022 MP election, she was PH-Upko’s candiate for Kimanis. She polled almost 4,000 votes. After that election and after Ewon became a Federal Minister, she was appointed a Board Member of Amanah Tekun Nasional under Ewon’s Ministry. She also holds several posts in Upko.

Arifin who is son-in-law of the Governor TYT Tun Musa Aman is expected to retain his seat for the 6th time. The only question is by what margin,

When Rowindy stood for Kimanis in 2022, Upko was a component of PH, the ruling federal coalition. Now that Upko is out of PH, it would be interesting to see how many votes she can get. I would imagine that most of the Kadazan votes will stay with her. 

P.177 Beaufort

N.32 Klias

This is a 9-cornered fight. The incumbent is Datuk Isnin Hj Aliasnih of GRS. He was an Assistant Minister of Local Government & Housing before the dissolution of the State Assembly. 

Isnin’s election debut was in 2013 when he, standing on a BN-Umno ticket, lost to PKR’s Lajim Ukin. However, he lost by only 179 votes. Lajim got 6,324 and Isnin got 6,145 votes.

But Isnin had sweet revenge in 2018 when he polled 6,173 votes to beat Lajim who got 3,838 votes. Lajim by then had his own party, PHRS

In 2020, Isnin polled 6,711 votes to beat nearest rival Rahman Yakub of PKR by 3,901 votes. Rahman has been with PKR for a long time and remained loyal to the party.

In 2008, he stood for PKR for the first time and lost to BN-Umno’s DSP Azizah Dun, daughter of the late Datuk Dun Banir a former Beaufort leader during Usno time. Before the dissolution of the Assembly, Rahman was a Political Secretary to the Chief Minister.

This time around, Isnin is facing among others Mohd Shaid Othman of Warisan and Osin Jilon of BN. Also in the fray is PKS’ new president Jismit Japong who in 2020 got 86 votes as an Independent.