[UPDATED] GE15: GRS drops Musa Aman’s son Yamani as Sipitang candidate

KOTA KINABALU – Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) has dropped Bersatu’s Sipitang incumbent, Yamani Hafez Musa, for the 15th general election (GE15).

Yamani, the son of former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman, will be replaced as candidate by Datuk Matbali Musah, who is the former Lumadan assemblyman.

GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor today announced the state coalition’s candidates for Sabah’s parliamentary seats.

GRS’ component parties are Bersatu, PBS, Sabah Star and SAPP. They will contest in 13 seats.

Hajiji also confirmed that PBS president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili will be defending the Kota Marudu seat.

Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, the Kiulu assemblyman from PBS and the party’s information chief, will be fielded in Tuaran. The incumbent here is Upko president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.

Yee Tsai Yew from PBS will be contesting in Kota Kinabalu. She is the daughter of Datuk Seri Yee Moh Chai, a former Sabah minister of resources and information technology development. 

Kota Kinabalu is also being contested by DAP incumbent Chan Foong Hin and Warisan’s Amanda Yeo.  

The following GRS candidates were announced today:

Kudat – Datuk Ruddy Awah (Bersatu)  

Kota Marudu – Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili (PBS)  

Tuaran – Datuk Joniston Bangkuai (PBS)  

Kota Kinabalu – Yee Tsai Yiew (PBS)  

Penampang – Kenny Chua (Sabah Star)  

Papar – Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali (Bersatu)  

Sipitang – Datuk Matbali Musah (Bersatu)

Ranau – Datuk Jonathan Yassin (incumbent MP, Bersatu)  

Keningau – Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan (Sabah Star)  

Batu Sapi – Firdaus Akbar Khan (Bersatu)  

Semporna – Nixon Abdul Habi (Bersatu) 

Tawau – Lo Su Fui (PBS) 

Sandakan – Thomas Lau @ Lau Chi Keong (SAPP)

Barisan Nasional, which is GRS’ partner in Sabah for GE15, will contest 11 seats – 10 under Umno and one under PBRS.

The candidate for Beluran has yet to be announced pending further discussion between Bersatu-GRS and Umno.

Meanwhile, Sabah Star is unhappy that it has only been given two seats – Keningau and Penampang – to contest.

Its president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan said the party had requested GRS for five parliamentary seats, namely Tuaran, Ranau, Pensiangan and Tenom, in addition to Keningau, where Kitingan is the incumbent.

He said GRS should not be surprised if Sabah Star members “go rogue” on nomination day this Saturday.

“Hopefully, by the time voting comes, they will cool down. 

“Still, there are undercurrents, and anything can happen,” he said today. – The Vibes, November 2, 2022

Additional reporting by Jason Santos