KOTA KINABALU – Sabah DAP has named candidates for seven parliamentary seats in the state, which will take the party out of familiar Chinese-majority territory in the coming general election (GE15).
The new seats are Papar, Batu Sapi, Lahad Datu, and Keningau – four more than Sabah DAP contested in 2018.
These seats are in addition to Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu, and Tenom, which the party is defending, said Sabah DAP chairman Datuk Frankie Poon today.
Four out of the seven candidates are women, while the first-time candidates are below the age of 40, he added.
In Papar, Sabah DAP is fielding 39-year-old Henry Shim, while Liau Fui Fui, also 39, will stand in Batu Sapi.
34-year-old Oscar Sia Yu Hock will make his debut in Lahad Datu and 32-year-old Grelydia Gillod hers n Keningau.
The first-time candidates can expect to face veteran challengers, such as in Lahad Datu, where former Warisan leader Datuk Mohamaddin Ketapi will likely contest for Parti Bangsa Malaysia, and in Keningau where Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan is the incumbent MP.
“We want to ensure that a progressive, diverse and inclusive government led by Pakatan Harapan (PH) is formed after polling day on November 19.
“The Sabah DAP candidates are young, diverse, and inclusive. The average age of the seven candidates is below 40 years old. This shows how dedicated we are in grooming our younger generation as leaders,” Poon said when announcing the candidates today.
In the seats DAP is defending, Kota Kinabalu incumbent MP Chan Foong Hin will attempt a fourth term, while the party is fielding Noorita Sual again in Tenom and Vivian Wong in Sandakan. – The Vibes, October 31, 2022
