KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Umno is confident of defending the Kimanis parliamentary seat mainly due to the people’s sentiments that the current government has not performed up to expectations.



Its chief Datuk Bung Moktar Radin said the party has several names in mind to choose from to contest the seat and is all geared up to give a full fight to take back the seat.



He said Sabah’s coalition government comprising Parti Warisan Sabah and Pakatan Harapan (DAP, PKR and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Sabah) and Upko has not met the people’s expectations.



He said there are strong sentiments that the current government did not look at the economy of the people or develop the rural areas.



“That is why I am quite confident Umno and Barisan Nasional will be able to defend the seat,” Bung said.



The Federal Court yesterday upheld the Election Court’s decision to declare the Kimanis seat held by its incumbent Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, who defected to become an independent, null and void.



Warisan’s Datuk Karim Bujang had challenged the election results in the Election Court.



Anifah, who was Umno’s Barisan Nasional candidate, won by a slim 156-vote majority in the 14th General Election last year that saw a three-cornered contest.



He garnered 11,942 votes, Datuk Karim Bujang of Parti Warisan Sabah obtained 11,786 votes, while Jaafar Ismail from Parti Harapan Rakyat got 1,300 votes.



The Kimanis decision is the last of nine election petitions filed by Warisan and its partner PKR following GE14.



The Election Court had struck out all the petitions mainly centred on alleged vote-buying.



“We are confident of emulating the Tanjung Piai by-election result in Kimanis, where the Barisan Nasional notched a landslide win in November,” said Bung, who added that the party will be speaking to all opposition parties in Sabah to work together for this coming by-election.



He said Sabah Umno has already decided to defend the seat even before this case was heard in the Federal Court, and will announce the name of their candidate once the Election Commission announces the by-election date.



“Whatever it is, we are confident of bringing the sentiments and spirit of the Tanjung Piai victory to Kimanis and defend a seat which has been won repeatedly by Umno,” he said.



Meanwhile, Parti Warisan Sabah sounded a more cautious note, saying the impending Kimanis by-election will be its first test 18 months after taking over the state government.



The party’s secretary-general, Datuk Loretto Padua, said the party has been preparing for the by-election and is ready to face any candidate.



He said by cooperating with partners from Pakatan Harapan and Upko, they should not face many obstacle in winning the seat which was held by Anifah for 20 years.



He said the party has been working on the ground and is confident with the people’s support in Kimanis.



Loretto said the time has also come for members to prove Warisan continues to enjoy the support of the people since forming the state government in May 2018.



He also urged members not to be overconfident as they prepare for the by-election as the people are the “final decision-makers”, adding that Warisan’s candidate for the seat will be decided by party president, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.





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