KOTA KINABALU: STAR Sabah chapter chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and deputy chairman Awang Ahmad Sah Datuk Sahari are both vying for parliamentary and state seats and the party has also featured four women as candidates for the 13th general election, polling of which is on May 5.
Jeffrey, once again, locks horns with his elder brother Tan Sri Joseph Pairin, president of PBS, in a three-cornered fight for the Keningau parliamentary seat. The third candidate is newcomer Stephen Sandor from (PR-PKR).
Jeffrey is also vying for the Bingkor state seat in a three-cornered fight with newcomer Kennedy John (BN-UPKO) and former deputy federal minister Datuk Ahmad Shah Tambakau (PR-PKR). Kennedy, a chef by profession, replaced BN incumbent Datuk Justin Guka.
Awang Ahmad is locked in a four-cornered fight for the Putatan parliamentary seat with BN incumbent Datuk Dr Makin @ Marcus Mojigoh (UPKO), and two other candidates from the opposition, Lee Han Kyun @ Joseph Lee (PR-DAP) and Dullie Mari @ Marie (SAPP).
Awang Ahmad would also be contesting for the Petagas state seat against BN incumbent Datuk Seri Yahya Hussin, who is Sabah Umno secretary, and opposition candidate Mat Yunin (PR-PKR).
The Sarawak-based STAR has also fielded four women, three of whom are contesting for parliamentary seats and one for a state seat.
For the parliamentary seats, the party’s candidates are Melania @ Melanie Annol for Penampang, former Yayasan Sabah officer Julianah Situn (Ranau) and Rosnah bte Unsari (Libaran), while Olivia Chong Oi Yun will contest the Chinese-majority Sri Tanjung seat in Tawau.
Debutant Melanie Annol is contesting against BN heavyweight and incumbent Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, who is also the president of UPKO, and lawyer Ignatius Darrel Leiking from PKR.
Julianah would be facing another BN heavyweight Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin, who shifted from the state seat of Paginatan, lawyer cum PKR Sabah deputy head Jonathan Yasin, who was re-nominated by his party’s leadership for the Ranau’s Kadazandusun-majority seat and an independent candidate, Yazid bin Sahjinan for the Ranau parliamentary seat.
Ranau (previously known as Kinabalu) seat was previously held by UPKO vice president Datuk Siringan Gubat who will now stand for the Paginatan state seat in a four-cornered tussle with retired senior police officer Amru Abdul Kadir (PR-PPPS), Pedderin @ Feddrin Tuliang @ Tuling (STAR) and independent Yazid bin Sahjinan.
Newcomer Rosnah is involved in a four-way tussle for the Libaran parliamentary seat with BN incumbent Datuk Juslie Ajirol, Mohd Serman Hassnar from (PR-PKR) and independent Sahar Saka.
Olivia is tied in a four-cornered tussle with BN candidate Fung Len Fui (PBS), Chang Foong Hin (PR-DAP) and former Tawau Chinese Chamber of Commerce committee member Yong Chong Kim (SAPP) in Sri Tanjung.
The Sri Tanjong seat is formerly held by State DAP chief Jimmy Wong, who shifted to the west coast to vie for the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat in a three-cornered fight.