KOTA KINABALU, Nov 15 — Elections not only test which party enjoys public support, but also measure the maturity and loyalty of politicians, especially when their parties decide not to field them as candidates.
As the names of candidates for the 17th Sabah State Election (PRN) were officially unveiled after the nomination process today, reactions have varied. Some leaders remain calm and loyal to their parties, while others publicly voiced disappointment.
One of the standout responses came from Abu Bakar Gapar, who accepted Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s (GRS) decision not to nominate him for the Lamag seat with notable composure.
“Politics is about struggle. Don’t be anxious, don’t be uneasy. We must focus on our goals, our mission and vision to defeat our opponents,” he said in a video posted on Facebook.
GRS is fielding Johainizamshah Johari as its candidate in the six-cornered fight for the Lamag seat, which was previously held by Sabah Barisan Nasional chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
However, not all leaders shared the same sentiment. Former GRS Youth chief Datuk Fairuz Renddan, and former Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku Sabah (Star) Wiramuda (Youth) chief Jordan Jude Ellron, for example, decided to contest in this year’s state election, even without a party.
Fairuz, who is the incumbent assemblyman of Pintasan, today confirmed that he is defending the seat as an independent candidate.
He said his decision to contest as an independent was driven not only by personal integrity but also by his commitment to uphold the spirit of the young people of Sabah.
Meanwhile, Jordan has publicly expressed disappointment with the party leadership, saying that he was “pranked” by Star president Datuk Seri Jeffrey G. Kitingan.
In a statement yesterday, Jordan claimed that Jeffrey had earlier confirmed he would contest the Tulid seat, a decision endorsed by the party’s Political Bureau, which prompted him to pay his nomination deposit and purchase campaign materials, only to find out later that he was dropped from the party’s list of candidates.
“I chose to resign as a form of sacrifice, hoping the president realises his mistake and does not repeat it,” said Jordan, who is contesting as an independent candidate against 13 other contenders, including Datuk Everitus Gungkit of Star, in the race for the Tulid seat.
Meanwhile, Putatan Umno Youth chief Mohd Reduan Aklee, who was not fielded in the race for the Tanjung Aru seat, posted a video with supporters accompanied by Noh Salleh’s song Rahsia Tuhan, seemingly signalling his acceptance of the situation.
PH is fielding Datuk Chan Foong Him of DAP as its candidate in the nine-way battle in Tanjung Aru.
Sabah Umno deputy chief Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, on the other hand, has opted to decline BN‘s nomination for the Tempasuk seat to give way to new faces and local candidates from Kota Belud.
A total of 74 independent candidates are contesting in the state polls, making them the entity with the most candidates in this state’s elections, surpassing other political parties in Sabah. A total of 596 candidates submitted their nominations today.
The Election Commission has set the polling day for the state election on November 29, with early voting on November 25. Sabah has 1,784,843 registered electors, comprising 1,760,417 regular electors, 11,697 military personnel and spouses, and 12,729 police personnel and spouses.
For the latest on the state polls, visit Bernama’s microsite at https://prn.bernama.com/sabah/index.php — Bernama
