KOTA KINABALU, Nov 13 — The Sabah election will be as much about family legacy as party ideology, with several of the state’s most influential political dynasties splintered across competing coalitions, illustrating the region’s fluid and personality-driven politics.
The pattern is repeated across constituencies: family members who once stood together now campaign under different flags, their split allegiances reflecting both personal ambition and the complex realignments that have reshaped Sabah’s political landscape in recent years.
Though he is now the Sabah governor, the shadow of Tun Musa Aman, Sabah’s longest-serving chief minister, still looms large over the upcoming election as his family members continue his political legacy, often on opposing sides of the divide.
Musa’s constitutional role now bars him from active politics, but from 2003 to 2018, he was the undisputed lynchpin of Sabah’s Barisan Nasional government.
After a dramatic bid to unseat the Warisan government in 2018, he re-emerged as a powerful “power broker” in the 2020 state election before being appointed the governor of Sabah in 2023.
This time, the far-reaching Aman clan will see several key figures contesting under different party banners.
Tun Musa Aman being greeted by well-wishers at Kota Kinabalu International Airport upon arrival. — Picture courtesy of the Sabah Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
A house divided
At the centre of the family’s political web is the rivalry between Musa’s own sons. His eldest, Datuk Yamani Hafez Musa, 48, is making his state election debut for Pakatan Harapan in the Sindumin seat.
A former state deputy finance minister and Sipitang MP, Yamani’s acceptance into PKR was controversial due to his past with Umno and Bersatu before joining the GRS fold.
Meanwhile, his younger brother, Datuk Hazem Mubarak Musa, 43, will be flying the rival Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) flag in Sungai Manila.
Also firmly in the GRS camp are two of Musa’s most senior relatives. His influential younger brother, Tan Sri Anifah Aman, a former minister and president of Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS), will contest the Bongawan seat under the GRS logo.
This is Anifah’s second attempt at the seat after losing in 2020, and he is expected to face a tough fight against the incumbent from Warisan, Datuk Daud Yusof, and his own former protégé from Umno, Kimanis MP Datuk Mohamad Alamin.
Musa’s son-in-law, five-term incumbent Datuk Ariffin Arif, will also be defending his Membakut seat for GRS.
Adding another layer, Datuk Ghulam Haidar Khan, a five-term assemblyman and the father-in-law of Musa’s late son, is contesting his Kawang seat under the GRS banner.
The family tree extends even further to Musa’s nephews. Datuk Annuar Ayub Aman, son of Musa’s elder brother, will be contesting as a direct GRS member in Liawan. His younger brother, Ishak Ayub, will be running under the Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) banner in Bingkor.
Tan Sri Anifah Aman will contest the Bongawan seat. — Bernama pic
Other dynasties in the fray
The Aman family is the most prominent, but far from the only one in this election. Others include:
The Apdals: Warisan president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s brother, Datuk Yusof Apdal, is contesting in Silam, while his nephew Jamil Hamzah is also in the race.
The Kitingans brothers: The legendary Kitingan family remains a force, with brothers Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan having long represented different sides of the political spectrum.
The Bahanda siblings: This year will see a three-way sibling rivalry, with Datuk Wetrom Bahanda (KDM, Matunggong), his sister Datuk Redonah Bahanda (GRS, Bandau), and their brother Datuk Verdon Bahanda (Independent, Tanjong Kapor) all contesting.
The Yong family: While Sabah Progressive Party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee is sitting this election out, his children, Yit Jee Yong (Likas) and Yvonne Yong (Segama), will be contesting.
The husband and wife: For GRS, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia will run in the the Pintasan seat while his wife, Puan Sri Diana Diego, was also named as the candidate for Sekong.
The father and son: Also in GRS, Datuk Juhari Janan and his son, Johanizamshah Johari, will take on Lamag and Sukau, respectively.
In Sabah, the ballot is often as much a test of family loyalties as it is of party lines, and this election is proving to be no different.
