GE13: It’s Jumat or we quit, leaders tell Sabah BN

KOTA KINABALU: It would not be smooth sailing for the Barisan Nasional in Sepanggar if a ‘parachute candidate (outsider) is fielded; if rumours circulating in the constituency are to be believed.

The ‘parachute candidates’ is said to be Sabah BN secretary Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who was the Kota Belud MP, but he is said to be making way for the return of former chief minister, Datuk Salleh Said Keruak.

This news has not gone down well apparently with the local leaders who expected UMNO division leader Datuk Jumat Idris to get the nod after UMNO was given the seat over UPKO.

A group of seven community leaders even threatened to resign from their posts if the BN leadership ignore their wish and preference over its current leaders in Sepanggar.

“We will not work with the BN candidate because we do not know the person. We would like to propose to Sabah BN Chairman to nominate Jumat as the candidate for the general election,” said Edin Pelai, a village head from Kampung Likas.

Edin noted that he and a few of his counterparts in other villages have reached a consensus to resign and not support the BN candidate if it is not Jumat who is nominated.

He also believed that the Umno has a better chance of contesting in the constituency as its leaders have been constantly going down to the ground and they have proved that they were able to resolve many issues in the two state constituencies namely Inanam and Karambunai.

Umno Kampung Mambong Chief Basri Awang Besar shared Edin’s opinion and stressed that Umno has a good track record in restoring the people’s confidence in BN after SAPP and the Sepanggar Member Parliament Datuk Eric Majimbun left the coalition in 2008.

“Remember what we have done for the party and don’t just nominate anyone according to your whims and fancies. We are the ones who have worked hard day and night without thinking of any inducement.

Rahman is from Tuaran but stood in Kota Belud in 2008 and now he has to move as Salleh wants the seats

“How do you think we feel when an outsider is fielded here… remember the voting power is in the hands of the grassroots constituents and if they do not like the candidate there is a possibility that the Sepanggar parliamentary seat will remain in the hands of the opposition,” Basri said.

Another community leader Amelly Christopher too was convinced that Umno can return the Sepanggar seat to BN if it nominates Jumat as the candidate for the constituency.

He cited for example, under Jumat’s leadership, Umno had in a short period of time has built more than 160 PPRT houses in the area as well as assisted fishermen in Karambunai and Inanam to increase their income.

“The BN leadership is always talking about winnable candidate so putting an outsider in Sepanggar contradicts just that,” Amelly said adding that the BN leadership should have learnt its lesson from the by-elections where ‘outsiders’ have failed to win.

Ketua Kampung Rampayan Menggatal village chief Masri Mansor was of the opinion that voters in sub-urban areas are likely to vote for the candidate other than the party.

He said that the young voters would be more interested in a ‘local’ candidate, adding, “this is the sign to the leadership that a local like Datuk Jumat would be a better choice for Sepanggar in the 13^th general election.