GE15: Bersatu’s Wetrom Bahanda joins Warisan in Sabah? 

KOTA KINABALU – Sabah state assemblyman for Bandau, Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, appears to be avoiding the press after a video of him announcing that he will contest the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat in the coming general election under the Warisan ticket has gone viral on social media. Wetrom is currently with Bersatu. 

The Vibes and several other media agencies have tried to reach him for confirmation that he has jumped, but Wetrom, who is also assistant minister to the Sabah chief minister, cannot be reached.  

The video shows Wetrom on stage, telling his supporters: “I announce that today, we will contest under Warisan’s ticket,” followed by loud cheers from the attendees.  

It is learned that the video was taken in Matunggong, Kota Marudu, during Wetrom’s meeting with his supporters recently.  

Social media users, including the official Facebook page of Wirawati (Warisan Women’s wing) Kota Belud, also shared a group photo with Wetrom and his supporters showing Warisan’s hand signal with a “W” sign.  

It could not be ascertained if Wetrom has left Sabah Bersatu, but Bersatu leaders have not issued a statement on the matter.  

In the video, after announcing that he will be contesting under Warisan’s ticket, he asks the attendees who think that his move is right to stand up, and all are seen standing up.  

Meanwhile, Warisan KDM Task Force coordinator Jominit Kobuhi was reported to have confirmed Wetrom’s decision to join party.  

FMT reported today that Jominit said it is true Wetrom announced the matter to his supporters in Matunggong. He said that he was also invited to attend the programme but he could not make it.  

“But it is true, that is what happened,” he was quoted saying.  

However, Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said Wetron has not met him to discuss the matter, and he will wait and see.  

“That is Facebook. Don’t believe what you hear. When the time comes, we will know. There are a lot of possibilities,” he said at a press conference in Papar today.  

On August 10, Sabah Bersatu’s Wanita chief Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun had told reporters that the party wants to contest Kota Marudu, but later retracted the statement saying that the matter was not confirmed.  

It showed that Sabah Bersatu was eyeing the Kota Marudu.

The current Parliament member there is Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili, president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), who is the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Sabah and Sarawak affairs.

Both Sabah Bersatu and PBS are under Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).  

This leads to speculation that Wetrom decided to join Warisan because he was unable to contest the Kota Marudu seat under Bersatu’s ticket.  

The Kota Marudu Parliament seat consists of three state seats: Matunggong, Bandau, and Tandek.  

Wetrom had won the Bandau seat in the Sabah state election in September 2020 with a 3,363 majority (5,863  votes) against Warisan’s Majamis Timbong. – The Vibes, October 15, 2022