PKR to contest 19 federal, 43 state seats in Sabah

G Vinod
17 April 2013

PETALING JAYA: Sabah PKR, in collaboration with two state-based NGOs friendly to it, plans to contest for 19 parliament and 43 state seats.

Sabah PKR chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini told a press conference here today that the group had prepared a list of candidates after gathering feedback from the ground.

PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim had endorsed the list, he said.
He added that DAP and PAS would field candidates in the constituencies not covered by the list.

Sabah has 25 parliament and 60 state seats.
Thamrin said PKR was eyeing 10 parliament and 20 state seats, adding that he would seek election to the Gum Gum state seat.

Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS) chief Lajim Ukin and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) chief Wilfred Bumburing also spoke at the press conference.

Lajim said PPS was targeting four parliament and 11 state seats. He will defend his Beaufort parliament seat and contest for the Klias state seat as well.

Bumburing said he would defend his Tuaran parliament seat and also stand in the Tamparuli state constituency.

APS would place candidates for five parliament and 12 state seats, he added.
PPS and APS candidates will all contest under the PKR ticket.

Thamrin also said there was a possibility that PKR would be involved in three-corner fights against Barisan Nasional and either the Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) or the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

“But this will not affect the support for PKR in the state,” he said. “Sabahans are looking at the bigger picture, which is to capture Putrajaya. And Sabahans are capable of changing the state government as well.

“It’s a good time to change.”

Ansari and gang not listed

The list released by PKR today did not contain the names of Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah and six of his supporters.

Earlier this month, Ansari, in an attempt to hijack the naming of candidates by party leaders in Kuala Lumpur, had announced seven candidates for Sabah’s west coast region.

He had named himself as the candidate for Tuaran constituency and surgeon-activist-author Dr Chong Eng Leong for Sepanggar.

Others were Mazhry Nasir (Putatan), Anthony Mandiau (Kota Marudu), Mursalim Tanjul (Kudat), Saidil Semoi (Kota Belud) and Johanathan Yassin (Ranau).

“We have taken the liberty to release the names of the seven candidates that have been picked by the respective divisions,” Ansari had said.

The list had been immediately dismissed by both Ahmad Thamrin and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. Azmin had said that Ansari’s candidates list were “mere suggestions”.

In the list released today, apart from Wilfred Bumburing contesting in Tuaran, Maikol Mahap will be in Kota Marudu, Rahimah Majid (Kudat), Isnaraissah Munirah (Kota Belud) and Jonathan Yasin (Ranau).

Putatan and Sepanggar meanwhile have been allocated to DAP.