Sabah polls: Siblings to clash in battle for Kukusan

 

Ma'mun Sulaiman, 60, (left) and his sister Chaya, 63. -- FILEPIC

TAWAU: Two siblings, representing Warisan and Barisan Nasional (BN) respectively, will clash for the Kukusan seat in the 17th Sabah General Election.

Warisan's Ma'mun Sulaiman, 60, will face his older sister Chaya, 63, who will contest the seat for BN.

Ma'mun is the former Kalabakan Member of Parliament, having won the seat in the 14th General Election. He failed to retain the seat in 2022.

Chaya, the Kalabakan Wanita Umno chief, contested in the last Sabah election but lost by just 10 votes to Warisan's Rina Jainal, who has since left the party.

When contacted, Chaya said her relationship with Ma'mun was not an obstacle in their political struggle.

"We are contesting professionally. The election is a platform for the people to decide who is worthy of representing them and which party is closest to the hearts of the people," she said.

This would not be the first time in Sabah politics that siblings have contested against each other.

In 2018, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan beat his older brother, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, in a four-cornered contest for the Tambunan seat in the 14th General Election.

Pairin, the then Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president, had served as the Tambunan assemblyman for 42 years. - NST