KOTA KINABALU – The Tuaran parliamentary seat along the western coast of Sabah is set to stage a dramatic rekindling of old rivalries between three famous political personalities.
Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate Datuk Joniston Bangkuai of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) will go head-to-head with incumbent MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau, who is the outgoing president of Upko, a component of Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Warisan’s Jo-anna Sue Henley Rampas, who is also contesting here, is seen as the underdog between the two political heavyweights. The activist and former beauty queen is nevertheless certain to draw much attention and support.
Interestingly, the three politicians had previously contested the Kiulu state seat on different occasions. Kiulu is located within Tuaran.
Bangkuai had defeated Rampas in Kiulu during the 2018 general election with a 1,443-vote majority. He had garnered 4,336 votes while Rampas managed 2,893.
He then defended the seat from a challenge mounted by Tangau in 2020. Bangkuai won with a 1,221-vote majority, amassing 4,007 votes against Tangau’s 2,786.
Also, both Tangau and Bangkuai were in the same Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition during the last national polls in 2018.
They became rivals when Upko and PBS both quit BN to go their own ways soon after that election.
Upko would later join PH while PBS subsequently joined GRS.
The three politicians are now set to meet again in the battle to be Tuaran’s MP on polling day for the general election, which is set for November 19.
Speaking to The Vibes, Rampas described the rivalry as a “reunion” for the trio.
“It will be a good reunion. Five years ago, the two (Tangau and Bangkuai) were together against me.
“Now all three of us will go against each other,” which shows that Kiulu is home to capable leaders in Tuaran, said Rampas.
Meanwhile, Tangau, a four-term MP for Tuaran, said that he had already expected his rivals to provide a stiff challenge in the seat.
He claimed that he was restricted from attending to his constituents in certain areas – due to issues of race and religion – when was MP there for BN.
“Now that I am with PH, what is important is that I am able to attend to my constituents regardless of such sentiments,” he said.
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Tangau also expressed hope for improvements in Tuaran, a district he stressed faces issues such as water supply disruptions and corruption.
When contacted, Bangkuai told The Vibes that all his rivals are his friends, especially Tangau who had been with him in BN before.
“He is still my friend, he went his separate ways, he left me, but here we are again.
“Of course we have different focuses. Let the people of Tuaran decide,” he said.
Bangkuai added that it would be easier if Tuaran has an MP from the government’s side after the election.
The odds seem to be in his favour, especially as all four state seats within Tuaran are occupied by his comrades from GPS and Umno, which are jointly ruling over Sabah.
Bangkuai himself is the representative for Kiulu, while Tamparuli is held by fellow PBS leader Datuk Jahid Jahim, Sulaman by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor of Bersatu, and Pantai Dalit is held by Umno’s Jasnih Daya.
Meanwhile, the three candidates are expected to also face challenges from other parties and independents.
Gerakan Tanah Air is fielding Muminin Kalingkong Norbinsha, a candidate from component Pejuang.
Tuaran saw a huge spike in its electorate for the coming polls with 83,419 recorded in 2022, compared to 54,400 in 2018. – The Vibes, November 4, 2022
Additional reporting by Rebecca Chong
