GE15: eyeing ‘kingmaker’ role, Warisan to vie for 52 seats

KOTA KINABALU – Warisan has decided to field its candidates in at least 52 parliamentary constituencies in the 15th general election (GE15), with 60% of them being new faces, including party president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s brother.

It is now planning to tackle 26 federal seats in Sabah and Labuan, and 27 in the peninsula. 

The Sabah-based party is likely to add a few more peninsular seats to its battle list.

Shafie today announced the inclusion of two new parliamentary seats from Peninsular Malaysia, namely, Kampar in Perak and Kapar in Selangor, as well as one more state seat in Perak. 

In announcing the candidates, he named his younger brother, Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal, 62, a former Umno man and Lahad Datu assemblyman to contest for Silam.

Yusof had previously run for the seat on behalf of Barisan Nasional (BN) but was beaten by Warisan’s Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi in the last general election of May 2018.

He later quit BN component Umno to join Warisan in December that year.

“Warisan had gone against Mohamad Yusof and beat him. Now he is with us,” Shafor said. 

“He never asked to be nominated, as he is happy to be working only for the party,” he added in announcing Yusof’s candidacy here today.

Yusof now faces Umno’s Aslam Fadli Samsul Alang, a newcomer, and is also likely to go up against Mohamaddin, a former federal minister, again. 

Interestingly, Mohamaddin defected to Bersatu in October 2021 and again jumped party to join Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) in August this year. He is expected to represent PBM in GE15.

Of the 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah, six will be defended by Warisan’s incumbents, while 15 will have new faces from the party.

Shair had said on October 25 that if Warisan wins all 25 seats in Sabah, it will get to play “kingmaker” and decide the federal government. This is because no coalition in the peninsula would be able to form a majority without Sabah’s seats, he predicted.

One Warisan personality hoping to make a comeback is former beauty queen Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas, who will contest Tuaran against heavyweights Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau of Upko and Joniston Bangkuai of PBS.

Rampas had contested in the state seat Kiulu against Bangkuai in the 14th general election.

Warisan is also fielding the party’s Sekong assemblyman, Alias Sani to contest the Batu Sapi federal seat. Its Bongawan assemblyman Daud Yusof will run for the Kimanis parliamentary seat.

Shafie rationalised the selection of the two assemblymen as being part of the party’s formula to ensure winnable candidates in the upcoming polls.

He also noted that the two reps are already quite experienced and well supported in their respective state constituency areas.

Meanwhile, Shafie and deputy president Datuk Darell Leiking are slated to defend their respective seats in Semporna and Penampang.

Shafie is also the Senallang assemblyman, while Leiking is Moyog assemblyman.

Shafie also named property developer Leong Cheok Lung, 44, as Warisan’s candidate for Kampar federal seat, while lawyer Leong Cheok Kang will contest in the Malim Nawar state seat. Both constituencies are in Perak.

Meanwhile, Rahim Awang will be fielded at the Kapar parliamentary seat in Selangor.

Warisan’s GE15 parliamentary candidates for Sabah are as follows:

Kudat – Abdul Rashid Abdul Harun

Kota Marudu – Datuk Jilid Kuminding @ Zainuddin

Kota Belud – Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis

Tuaran – Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas

Sepanggar – Datuk Azis Jamman

Kota Kinabalu – Yeo Yan Yin @ Amanda Yeo

Putatan – Ahmad Mohd Said

Penampang – Datuk Darell Leiking

Papar – Ahmad Hassan

Kimanis – Dr Daud Yusof (Bongawan assemblyman)

Beaufort – Masri Adul

Sipitang – Datuk Adnan Puteh

Ranau – Markos Siton

Keningau – Rasinin Koutis @ Kautis

Tenom – Ukim Buandi

Pensiangan – Siti Noorhasmahwatty Osman

Beluran – Rowiena Rasid

Libaran – Sh Bokrata Sh Hassan

Batu Sapi - Alias Sani (Sekong assemblyman)

Sandakan – Thien Ching Qiang @ Alex Thien

Kinabatangan – Mohd Ismail Ayub

Lahad Datu/Silam – Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal

Semporna – Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal

Tawau – Chen Ket Chuin

Kalabakan – Ma’mun Sulaiman

Warisan’s GE15 candidates for federal seats in Peninsular Malaysia thus far:

Perlis

Padang Besar – Ko Chu Liang

Kangar – Rohimi Bin Shapiee

Arau – To be announced

Kedah

Pokok Sena – Noraini Md Salleh

Alor Star – Fadzil Hanafi

Kuala Kedah – Syed Araniri Syed Ahmad

Merbok – Khairul Anuar Ahmad

Padang Serai – Mohd Bakhri Hashim

Penang

Tasek Gelugor – Mohd Akmal Azhar

Batu Kawan – Ong Chin Wen

Jelutong – Lim Huat Poh

Bayan Baru – Jeff Ooi

Perak

Kampar – Leong Cheok Lung

Gopeng – Balachandran A/L Gopal

Tapah – Mohamed Akbar Sherrif Ali B. Yasin

Lumut – Mohd Isnin Ismail @ Ibrahim Khan

Kelantan

Tumpat – Khairul Azuan Kamarrudin

Selangor

Ampang – Lai Wai Chong

Pandan – Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat

Hulu Langat – Abdul Rahman Jaafar

Kapar – Rahim Awang

Klang – Loo Cheng Wee

Kuala Lumpur

Kepong – Young Shang Yi

Batu – Dr Naganathan Pillai

Wangsa Maju – Wee Choo Keong

Negri Sembilan

Kuala Pilah – Azman Idris

Johor

Sekijang – Mohd Zohar Ahmad

Warisan’s GE15 candidates for state seats in Peninsular Malaysia thus far:

Perlis

Titi Tinggi – Khaw Hock Kong

Beseri – Mohd Shamim M Nordin

Bintong – Mohamad Khair Mohd Noor

Sena – Ko Chu Liang

Indera Kayangan – Atan Jasin

Kuala Perlis – Muhamad Hairi Noordin

Kayang – Khairuddin Abdullah

Pauh – Mohd Khalid Ahmad

Simpang Empat – Wan Noralhakim Shaghir Saad

Perak

Malim Mawar – Leong Cheok Kang

Sg Rapat – Roshanita Mohd Basir

Simpang Pulai – Hooi Mi Suet

Teja – Low Leong Sin

Chenderiang – Ahmad Tarmizi Mohd Ghazali

Ayer Kuning – Noor Hasnida Mohd Hashim

Pasir Panjang – Nur Inderasyawalis Ahmad Mukhtar

Pangkor – Yahaya Ahmad  – The Vibes, November 3, 2022