KOTA KINABALU: Observers in Sabah are following the battle for Kota Marudu closely with talk on the ground that an upset could be on the cards for Maximus Ongkili, the Parti Bersatu Sabah president.
For 18 years, Kota Marudu had been a stronghold for Ongkili, the federal minister for Sabah and Sarawak affairs.
However, he is facing a strong challenger in the Nov 19 general election, former Sabah assistant minister Wetrom Bahanda from Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM).
A source in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, which PBS is a part of, said their surveys on the ground indicated Ongkili could be in trouble.
“They have been asking for a new face. It is not about the party but the representative.
“Wetrom is very popular because of his work when he was with Barisan Nasional (before joining Perikatan Nasional) and his popularity has continued to rise because of his interaction with the people,” said the source.
Critics of Ongkili, the source said, were claiming that he had not been present on the ground as much as he should have.
They also said he had not managed to bring change to the constituency, so much so that it remained one of the 10 poorest districts in the country.
Wetrom, the Bandau assemblyman, has been eyeing the seat for some time, even when he was the Kota Marudu Umno chief.
However, a PBS source voiced confidence in Ongkili’s ability to retain the seat under the GRS banner.
Ongkili, who retained the Kota Marudu seat in the 2018 polls with a 1,774-vote majority, will be contesting against Wetrom, Jilid Kuminding (Warisan), Shahrizal Denci (Muda), Azmi Zulkiflee (GTA) and independent Norman Tulang. - FMT
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