Warisan seeks to overturn wins by Musa, Anifah and Kitingan

The party is expected to file election petitions to overturn the results in four state and four parliamentary seats.

Musa won by a reduced majority but Anifah and Kitingan eeked out narrow victories.

KOTA KINABALU: Former Sabah Umno leader Musa Aman, his brother Anifah, and Star president Jeffrey Kitingan are among eight candidates whose victories at last month’s general election are being called into question.

Anifah and Kitingan both won parliamentary seats by a narrow victory, while Musa retained his state seat with a majority that was one-fifth of his 2013 victory.

On Monday, the ruling Parti Warisan Sabah is expected to file election petitions with the High Court to challenge the results in four state constituencies and four parliamentary constituencies.

A Warisan source told FMT that Warisan president Shafie Apdal would make the final decision whether to include all eight.

Musa retained his Sungai Sibuga seat with a majority of 2,184 votes against Asmara Abdul Rahman (Warisan). In 2013, Musa had won with a 11,569-vote majority.

Anifah retained the Kimanis parliamentary seat by only 156 votes. He polled 11,942 votes while his closest challenger, former state minister Karim Bujang (Warisan), obtained 11,786 votes.

Other state seats whose results will be challenged are:

• Kundasang: won with a 255-vote majority by Joachim Gunsalam of Parti Bersatu Sabah (BN-PBS)
• Kiulu: retained with bigger majority by Joniston Bangkuai (BN-PBS)
• Nabawan: retained with a bigger majority by Bobbey Suan (BN-Upko).
• Other parliamentary seats to be challenged:
• Sipitang, 852-vote majority for Musa’s son Hafez Musa, a first-time candidate, against Noor Hayaty Mustapha (Warisan)
• Libaran: 678-vote majority for Zakaria Edris (BN-Umno) against Irwanshah Mustapa (Warisan).
• Keningau: 45-vote majority for Jeffrey Kitingan in a three-way contest. Kitingan, of Star polled 13,286 votes, Jake Nointin (Warisan) 13,241 votes and Daniel Kinsik (BN-PBS) 12,742 votes. -FMT