KOTA KINABALU – PBS deputy president Datuk Joachim Gunsalam has expressed interest for his party to be able to contest in the Keningau seat, the parliamentary constituency which was the stronghold of the party’s founding leader, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
“It is sad, we wish it could be PBS. But having said that, if GRS needs to be one for the whole of Sabah, we need to think as GRS in this coming election,” he said when met at a private function here today.
Keningau is a federal seat created in 1974 which saw Joseph as MP from 1986 to 2018.
Joseph’s brother, Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan, is the incumbent after the elder Kitingan announced his retirement before the general election in 2018.
Jeffrey, who is Sabah Star president, is expected to defend Keningau in the 15th general election.
However, a territorial war has started to brew between Sabah Star and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), the Barisan Nasional (BN) component party which is now urging BN to go solo in the general election.
The Vibes had reliably learnt that PBRS may field Datuk Jake Jikulin Nointin, who was Jeffrey’s opponent in the 14th general election.
Jeffrey won the Keningau seat with a razor-thin 45-vote majority against Nointin, who was contesting on a Warisan ticket in GE14.
The younger Kitingan garnered 13,286 votes while Nointin garnered 13,241 votes.
PBS had put up a tough fight against the heavyweights as its candidate Datuk Daniel Kinsik garnered 12,742 votes.
Meanwhile, Joachim also said that Kota Marudu is a safe seat for PBS as the party is ready to defend the seat in the general election.
PBS is expected to field party president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili to defend Kota Marudu.
However, there are already hints that Bandau assemblyman Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, who is said to have left Bersatu for Warisan recently, is also eyeing the rural seat.
“He (Wetrom) is eyeing as an opposition candidate. He is free to do so. If he wants to contest, so be it,” he said. – The Vibes, October 18, 2022
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