Kota Kinabalu: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah-Barisan Nasional Sabah (GRS-BN) announced, Wednesday, their choice of candidates for the coming 15th General Election (GE15). They comprise six incumbents, a former Member of Parliament and 17 new faces.
Thirteen would contest under GRS and 11 under BN Sabah, while negotiations for the Beluran and Labuan seats are ongoing.
For GRS, the incumbents are GRS Deputy Chairmen Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili (PBS) and Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (Star) who would defend their Kota Marudu and Keningau seats, respectively, and Datuk Jonathan Yasin (Bersatu) in Ranau.
Maximus is caretaker Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) and Parti Bersatu Sabah President, while Jeffrey is Sabah Deputy Chief Minister II cum Agriculture and Fisheries Minister and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku President. Jonathan is a former Deputy Home Minister.
For BN Sabah, the incumbents are BN Sabah Chairman and Umno Sabah Chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin who would defend his Kinabatangan seat, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup who is also Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) Deputy President for Pensiangan seat and Datuk Mohamad Alamin (Umno) for Kimanis seat.
Bung is also Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I cum Works Minister, while Arthur is former Deputy Works Minister and Mohamad is former Deputy Education Minister. Two of them are state assemblymen, namely Jeffrey (Tambunan) and Bung (Lamag).
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who is also GRS Chairman, announced the GRS candidates while Bung the BN Sabah at the Magellan Sutera Harbour.
The new faces for GRS are Sabah Assistant Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dato’ Sri Ruddy Awah who would contest in Kudat, Sabah Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (Tuaran), Yee Tsai Yiew (Kota Kinabalu), Kenny Chua (Penampang), Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Papar), Datuk Matbali Musah (Sipitang), Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi), Thomas Lau (Sandakan), Nixon Abdul Habi (Semporna) and Lo Su Fui (Tawau).
Three are also state assemblymen, namely Ruddy who is Pitas Assemblyman, Joniston (Kiulu) and Matbali (Sindumin).
While for BN Sabah, the new faces are State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister and Umno Sabah Deputy Chief Datuk Yakub Khan who would stand in Sepanggar, State Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya (Putatan), Datuk Siti Aminah Aching (Beaufort), Jamawi Jaafar (Tenom), Suhaimi Nasir (Libaran), Maizatul Akmal Alwi (Silam) and Aslam Fadli Samsul Alang (Kalabakan).
Yakub is also Karambunai Assemblyman and Shahelmey is Tanjung Keramat Assemblyman.
Former Federal Minister (2013-2018) Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan is making a comeback in Kota Belud. Abdul Rahman was the MP for Kota Belud for two terms.
Bung also announced Haji Abdul Aziz Mohd Ibno as BN Sabah candidate to contest in the Bugaya state by-election.
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