Sabah Umno deputy chief Abdul Rahman Dahlan has withdrawn as Barisan Nasional’s candidate for the Tempasuk seat, just three days after being announced as a candidate for the Nov 29 state election.
Rahman said he wanted to make way for new blood to take part in the state polls, adding that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had been informed of his decision.
Although he lost the contest for the Kota Belud parliamentary seat in 2022, he pointed out that Umno still won the majority of the votes cast in the Tempasuk constituency.
“I believe that a local from Kota Belud Umno will be able to carry the responsibility (of contesting in the state election) well.
“As an Umno member, I will continue helping the party in other capacities,” he said in a Facebook post.
Separately, Sabah BN chairman Bung Moktar Radin maintained that the former Kota Belud MP’s candidacy was well-received by the BN machinery.
“He didn’t pull out because he faced rejection after being announced as our candidate. There was no issue with his candidacy,” Bung told FMT.
He said BN’s preparations for the election would not be hampered by Rahman’s decision, though he hoped his deputy would continue to campaign for the coalition.
“I believe he will continue helping our candidates achieve victory,” he said.
Bung also announced that BN would field Kota Belud Umno chief Azwan Norjan in Tempasuk instead.
Rahman was among the 41 BN candidates announced on Sunday. If nominated on Saturday, it would have marked his first time contesting for a state seat, having only taken part in parliamentary elections previously.
The Tempasuk seat was won by former Umno man Arsad Bistari with a 1,685-vote majority in 2020. Arsad later defected to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.
Yesterday, Rahman rubbished claims that he was not on good terms with Bung, insisting that they made a solid team together.
The former federal minister said they differed on certain issues, but were on the same page when it came to helping BN win the state election on Nov 29.
