KOTA KINABALU, Oct 28 — Former Cabinet minister and ex-Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia offered to make a comeback by contesting the Pintasan state seat.
The United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) president said he still felt he could contribute, despite people saying he is old.
“I want to contest because I feel like I can still do it. For you young people, don’t keep getting at the older folk because you will grow old too,” he said after launching a book on his career, here.
The 70-year-old, however, acknowledged that it would be difficult as the seat was won by Datuk Fairuz Renddan in the last state polls in 2020.
Fairuz, who is from Gagasan Rakyat, has expressed his desire to re-contest the seat. Gagasan Rakyat and Usno are members of the six-party Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ruling coalition.
Pandikar said although he agreed that Fairuz had done a good job as Pintasan Assemblyman, it is GRS’ duty to ensure leaders in the coalition get to contest.
“If not, what is the purpose of GRS?” he said.
He said seat allocations and arrangements had yet to be finalised by GRS but added Usno wants to contest as “many seats as possible”.
“GRS is not in favour of this because it is not confident that Usno can win many seats,” he said.
Asked if he would kick up a fuss if his demand to contest was not entertained, Pandikar said he had experienced not contesting in past elections.
“But I was given ministerial posts and was appointed Dewan Rakyat Speaker. Today my photo is still hanging on the wall in Parliament — my face with the Mount Kinabalu background on it,” he said.
Usno was not represented in the dissolved 73-seat State assembly.
On the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), Pandikar said it was not signed solely for the interest of Sabah but all states that formed the federation.
He said Sabah’s special rights under MA63, including the 40pc federal revenue entitlement, were enshrined in the Federal Constitution. — Daily Express
