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N.33 Kuala Penyu

This is a 6-cornered fight. The incumbent is Datuk Limus Jury of GRS. In 2020, he polled 6,256 votes to beat his nearest rival Datuk Nelson Angang of Upko by 3,273 votes. Nelson the Upko secretary-general got 2,983 votes. This time, Nelson is contesting in Limbahau in Papar. 

Nelson, a lawyer failed in 2020 to reclaim Kuala Penyu for Upko in general and his father in particular. His father, Tan Sri Wences Angang was the Kuala Penyu Assemblyman from 1986 to 2004.

From 1986 to 1999 Wences was representing PBS but in 1999 he won it on a BN-Upko ticket. During BN-Umno time he took over from Bumburing as Deputy Chief Minister until 2002 when he was defeated by Independent Datuk Johan Ghani 

This time around, Linus the former Assistant Minister of Public Works is facing among others Warisan’s Monih Epin and BN’s Awang Aslee Lakat. Since his first election victory in 2013, Linus has been having comfortable majority.

He used to be with Upko. But just before the 2018 election, he and Datuk James Ratib dumped Upko and supported PN-Bersatu, later GRS.

P.178 Sipitang

N.34 Lumadan

This is a 6-cornered fight. The incumbent is Datuk Hj Ruslan Muharam of GRS. In 2020, he won Lumadan on a PBS ticket. He was one of the only two Muslim PBS candidates who won, the other being DSP Jahid Jahim of Tamparuli.

Ruslan’s victory in 2020 was rather unexpected as Lumadan has been traditionally Usno since the 1970s and later Umno’s stronghold since 1994 through the late Datuk Dayang Mahani.

The only exception being in 1981 when former Usno leader DSP Mohd Dun Banir (Azizah’s father) won on a Berjaya ticket. Dun however resigned in the same year and his son Johari stood in the by-election on a Berjaya ticket and won. 

In 2020, Ruslan who got 3,650 votes defeated Kamarlin Ombi of Umno by only 364 votes. Ruslan’s candidacy was earlier protested by Umno as it and PBS was supposed to have a pact through PN. But PBS was never an official component then, only Star.

This time around, Ruslan among others face Mohd Norizhuan Awang of Warisan and Datuk Mohd Nazri Abdullah of BN-Umno. Will Nazri who is active in the Farmers’ Organization of Malaysia be able to wrest Lumadan back from PBS? We will know by Saturday evening. 

Ruslan is Chairman or President of the influential Sabah Bisaya Association based in Beaufort. Not to be confused with the Visayas of the Philippines.

Previous Bisaya leaders who rose with the association includes the late Datuk Lahim Okin, a former Deputy Chief Minister and former Federal Deputy Minister. Earlier Bisaya leaders since Usno time includes Datuk Mohd Dun Banir (Azizah’s father). 

P.179 Ranau

N.36 Kundasang

This is 10-cornered fight. The incumbent is DSP Dr Joachim Gunsalam who is PBS acting President. He has held the seat for 20 years, having first won it in 2004.

Among his opponents are Japiril Suhaimin of SAPP, Jefferey Gopog of Warisan, and Jeffry Mohd Ali of KDM. Japiril is a Deputy President of SAPP, assumably under the KDM quota. Jeffry I was told is a former banker.

In 2020, Dr Joachim was involved in a 5-cornered fight. He polled 4,332 votes to beat his nearest rival Siriman Basir by 1,422 votes. Siriman, a former District Officer, got 2,910 votes.

Also in the fray was former PBS Assemblyman for Kundasang and former Minister Datuk Ewon Ebin who stood on a PCS ticket who got 2,384 votes.

This would be the 3rd time Dr Joachim is being challenged by Japiril. In 2018, Japiril stood on a Star ticket and obtained 2,105 votes against Dr Joachim’s 3,971 votes. 

Japiril made his election debut in 1990 on a Berjaya ticket. The then young man obtained 193 votes. The winner was PBS’ Datuk Ewon Ebin who got 4,009 votes.

Dr Joachim is a medical doctor by training. He has been a Deputy Chief Minister since 2020 representing PBS and is expected to continue to do so after election should GRS win.

PBS is a component of GRS. Despite being persuaded by former PBS ‘partner’ to leave GRS and go solo, Dr Joachim refused to do so. He is respected for his principle. 

N.35 Sindumin

This is a 10-cornered fight including 3 Independents. The incumbent is Dr Yusof Yacob who is however not defending his seat. One of the reasons is that Sindumin has been allocated to -PH-PKR which has a pact with GRS.

The candidate for PKR, PM Anwar’s party, is Datuk Yamani Hafez Musa. He is the son of Governor (TYT) Tun Musa Aman, the former CM. 

Sindumin used to be called Sipitang. But since 1999 Sipitang is the MP seat in line with the name of the district. Sindumin is of course in Sipitang and it is at the Sabah-Sarawak border. When you mention Sindumin people think of the Sindumin-Marapok (Sarawak) border town. 

He was the Sipitang MP which he won on a BN-Umno ticket in 2018. He is the former Sipitang Umno Youth Leader. After Muhyiddin became PM, Yamani associated with his PN-Bersatu party. He was later appointed Deputy Malaysian Finance Minister. 

Then came the 2022 MP election and by the time the CM was Hajiji. For some reason Yamani declined to defend Sipitang. 

Now, three years later Yamani has reappeared and suddenly become the PKR candidate for Sindumin. 

Yamani’s strongest challenge is expected to come from Warisan candidate Yusri Pungut who is a lawyer and studied for a MBA at Universiti Teknoloji Mara. 

BN-Umno is not putting up a candidate out of respect for PKR with which it has a pact. Instead, PN-Bersatu has fielded Dayang Syafiqah, a young youth leader who was a member of the Sabah Youth Assembly representing Sipitang. 

N. 37 Karanaan

This is a 7-cornered fight. The incumbent is DSP Masidi Manjun of GRS. This constituency was created and contested for the first time in 2004. Masidi, the incumbent State Finance Minister, has held it since, first on an Umno ticket, then Bersatu and now GRS through PGRS. 

Masidi is facing, among others, Karim Adam of KDM. Karim is a former Kundasang Assemblyman under PBS. He had then defeated among others another former Kundasang Assemblyman Datuk Ewon Ebin who initially won on a PBS ticket but later joined Upko.

Masidi is also facing Georgina George, an Upko member. Another is Anuar Ghani @ Philip of Star. A lawyer, Anuar is son of veteran Ranau politician Tan Sri Ghani Gilong.