KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) Chief, Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, has retained his Tuaran BERSATU Division Chief post uncontested, as the nomination period for the party election ended last Sunday.
No other individual had come forward to contest against Hajiji for the post during the naming of candidates session held on Sunday (Jan 26) for upcoming party elections.
Hajiji is also Sulaman State Assemblyman.
Sabah BERSATU Deputy Chief, Datuk Seri Panglima Masidi Manjun, also won uncontested as Ranau BERSATU Division Chief.
Others who also retained their posts uncontested are Sabah BERSATU Secretary, Datuk Seri Dr. Ronald Kiandee (Beluran), State BERSATU Information Chief, Encik Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan (Batu Sapi) and State BERSATU Treasurer, Datuk Haji Mohd.Arifin Haji Mohd.Arif (Kimanis).
14 other Division Chiefs also won uncontested namely Datuk Rahim Bakri (Kudat), Datuk Wetron Bahanda (Kota Marudu), Datuk Japlin Haji Akim (Kota Belud), Encik Mohamed Razali Mohamed Razi (Sepanggar), Datuk Faisyal Yusof Hamdan Diego (Kota Kinabalu), Senator Datuk John Ambrose (Penampang).
Datuk Haji Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahadar (Papar), Datuk Isnin Haji Alisnih (Beaufort), Encik Matbali Musah (Sipitang), Datuk Rubin Balang (Tenom), Encik Azman Ruslan (Keningau), Senator Datuk Abdul Ghani Yassin (Pensiangan), Datuk Awang Kadin Tang (Sandakan) and Encik Aksyah Nasrah (Kinabatangan).
While 6 other divisions mostly will see one-on-one contests, except for the Putatan division. The other divisions are Libaran, Semporna, Silam, Tawau and Kalabakan.
State BERSATU Secretary, Datuk Seri Dr. Ronald Kiandee, said all 25 divisions in Sabah are eligible to submit a nomination for the election which is held for the first time.
He said Sabah BERSATU Srikandi Chief, Datuk Hajah Azizah Datuk Seri Panglima Mohd.Dun, together with 20 Srikandi chiefs also retained their posts unopposed.
“Among those who won uncontested are Deputy State Srikandi Chief, Datuk Amisah Yassin (Ranau), State Srikandi Secretary, Dato Redonah Bahanda (Kota Marudu), Srikandi Information Chief, Puan Mizma Appehdullah (Silam) and State Srikandi Treasurer, Puan Jamaliah Antalip (Tuaran),” he said in a statement today.
Only 4 divisions recorded one-on-one contests for the Srikandi division posts, namely Penampang, Tenom, Tawau and Kalabakan.
While for the BERSATU Armada Division Chiefs, 20 Division Chiefs have successfully retained their posts unopposed.
Among them are Deputy State Armada Chief, Ceasar Mandela Malakun (as Penampang Armada Division Chief), State Armada Secretary, Encik Azrul Ibrahim (Papar) and State Armada Treasurer, Encik Ghazali Hajiji (Tuaran).
5 divisions will see either one-on-one or three-cornered contests for the Armada Division Chief posts including Putatan, which is led by Encik Isquzawan Israq Datuk Arsit who is the State Armada Chief. The rests are Beluran, Semporna, Tawau and Kalabalan.
Ronald Kiandee said the candidate nomination process on Sunday went smoothly, calmly and peacefully.
“I hope this can continue on to campaigning period,” he said.
The BERSATU meeting for branch-level will begin on 15 February until 29 March, while for division-level is scheduled on 18 April. The party’s Annual General Meeting will be held on June 25-28.-pr/BNN
