KOTA KINABALU – The biggest upset in Sabah would be the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat, where unofficial results pointed at Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) candidate Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, who is also the older brother of Datuk Verdon Bahanda, beating PBS president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili.
Wetrom had earlier left Bersatu and joined KDM to contest in the Kota Marudu seat, where Ongkili had been MP for six terms.
The 15th general election has come out with some upsets and surprises, while the ruling coalitions, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Barisan Nasional (BN) secured 13 of the 25 Sabah seats, plus one from Perikatan Nasional (PN).
GRS had won in Sipitang, Papar, Batu Sapi, Keningau, Ranau and Tawau.
BN, meanwhile, took Kinabatangan, Pensiangan, Kimanis, Beaufort, Libaran, Kalabakan and Putatan.
Only Beluran was won by PN.
Opposition party Warisan saw their winning seats reduced from eight in the 14th general election to only three, while Pakatan Harapan won five seats in the poll.
The state also saw two independent candidates winning the Tenom and Kudat seat via Riduan Rubin and Verdon.
In Beluran, Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee gave PN its sole seat after beating Umno candidate Benedict Asmat.
Kiandee, the Beluran incumbent, had contested in the seat going against the GRS-BN electoral pact.
GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor later included the Beluran seat into the GRS-BN seat tally.
The opposition lost by split votes in at least eight seats, including Labuan, especially between Warisan and PH, where they had clashed in Keningau, Batu Sapi, Kimanis, Tawau and Kalabakan.
Warisan retained Semporna, Lahad Datu and Kota Belud, but lost in Penampang, Sepanggar, Papar, Batu Sapi, Kalabakan and Labuan.
PH, meanwhile, kept Sandakan, Tuaran and Kota Kinabalu, while capturing Penampang and Sepanggar from Warisan. – The Vibes, November 20, 2022
