PAPAR: Two incumbents from Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) are defending their seats for Limbahau and Kawang, here – Datuk Juil Nuatim and Dato’ Sri Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar.
Juil, who is a direct member of GRS, will face a nine-cornered fight against United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) Secretary-General Senator Datuk Nelson W. Angang, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Edward Dagul, Warisan’s Roger Amandus, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM) Malik Luman, Parti Impian Sabah (PIS) Joseph Philip Kulip, Perikatan Nasional (PN) Adrian Alexander Alim, and two independents, namely, Linda Dunstan and Marcellus Tambud.
Ghulam, who served Kawang seat for five terms, faces five challengers namely his closest rival Papar Umno Divisional Chief Datuk Jamal Nerubi from Barisan Nasional (BN).
The rest are Warisan’s Nin Jelih, Star Sabah’s Beverly Natalie Koh and Samail Bulongik from Parti Impian Sabah (PIS).
For Pantai Manis seat, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) Deputy Head Datuk Pg Saifuddin Pg Tahir Petra is the new contender for GRS in a seven-cornered fight to go against a former Law Minister under the then Warisan governance 2018-2020 Datuk Aidi Moktar who lost the seat in 2020 State Election made a comeback under Warisan to defend the seat in this PRN17.
Other contenders are BN/Umno Papar Vice head Redzuan Ismail @ Garin, a senior lawyer Richard Vitales from Star Sabah, Papar Bersatu Divisional Chief Faizal Julaili from Pn, a businessman Datu Mohamad Datu Tamin from PKDM and Mohamad Azzmi Ahmad from PIS.
Of the 21 candidates fielded for these three seats, 15 candidates are first-timers while the remaining had either defended the seats, lost in previous election in other seats and making a comeback to contest in the same seat.
