KOTA MARUDU: United Pasokmomogum Kadazadusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) vice president Datuk Siringan Gubat hopes that the Barisan Nasional (BN) central leadership will give the party the opportunity to represent the coalition in at least four of the 13 proposed new state seats, namely Dambai, Mengaris, Telupid and Bengkoka.
“Personally, I hope that UPKO will get at least four out the 13 proposed new state seats, which we have already identified as areas where the Kadazandusun and Murut (KDM) voters are the majority. We will discuss this with the BN supreme leadership through our acting president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau,” he said.
Siringan said the requests for the proposed new state seats were made based on a thorough study done by the party and the number of party members there.
Siringan also believes that the party, just like the rest of the component members, also deserves a chance at the new proposed seats.
“We want UPKO to maintain all the seats contested during the 12th and 13th general elections, and given at least four of the 13 proposed new state seats,” he told reporters at a media conference after he officiated at the UPKO Kota Marudu Zone Convention held at the Hexan Hotel here on Sunday.
Kota Marudu UPKO Division chief Padis Majingkin, his deputy chief Joseph Pulok, Siringan’s Political Secretary James Ingguru, Private Secretary Jaibie Dualis, Paginatan People Development Leader (PPM) Georgina George and Felix Joseph Saang, Madius’s special tasks officer were also present.
In his speech earlier on, Siringan who is also Paginatan assemblyman and Minister of Resource Development and Information Technology, also voiced his full support to UPKO Kota Marudu Division which wants the proposed Mengaris or Tandek state seat be given to the party to contest during the 14th GE.
Padis, in his speech, said apart from wanting UPKO be given a shot at the proposed Mengaris seat, the division also wanted the same electoral boundary used for Langkon state seat (Langkon was abolished in 1999) during the 1994 General Election be used to mark as the electoral boundary of the proposed Mengaris state seat.
It would definitely be received as a great morale booster for BN in general because it greatly improves the BN power-sharing system in the northern part of Sabah, said Padis, adding that the division wanted the present power-sharing system practised in Kota Marudu be further improved for the benefit of BN Kota Marudu.
“Like for example, in the appointment of Kota Marudu District Councillors, where we are fortunate to finally have one of the our division leaders appointed as a councillor but we want two or three more from UPKO to be appointed as councillors here,” he said.
Padis added the division also wanted fair distribution of Kota Marudu BN allocation as well as development projects in the district.
“All these are for the benefit and strength of BN in Kota Marudu. We don’t want the coalition’s strength here be ruined just because of all these. We are confident that BN will get even stronger when all these are resolved,” he said.
Siringan, also represented Madius, in receiving application forms from 573 people who wanted to join UPKO through the division.
Commenting on the big number, Siringan said it showed that the party is on the right track in its struggles and in championing the rights of the Pasokmomogun.