GE15: Ronald Kiandee offers contesting Beluran seat on PN ticket

BELURAN: Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee offered himself to defend the Beluran parliamentary seat on Perikatan Nasional's (PN) ticket in the 15th General Election (GE15).

The move by the five-term Beluran MP will see him defending the seat in a five-cornered fight, including with Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate former Sandakan Municipal Council president Benedict Asmat.

Ronald said Bersatu was still a component party of GRS in Sabah, but at the national level, Bersatu and two GRS component parties, namely Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), are components of PN.

"I am contesting on PN ticket, which is the best platform to lift the aspiration of the raise Beluran's constituents at the national level," he said when met by reporters after submitting his nomination papers at the nomination centre at the Beluran Multipurpose Hall here today.

Ronald said his agenda was to ensure continuous development in Beluran, including improved infrastructure in the constituency.

GRS, comprising Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), STAR, SAPP and United Sabah National Organisation (USNO), has established cooperation with BN, which consists of UMNO, MCA, MIC and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) to form the Sabah government.

Meanwhile, Benedict said a lot still needed to be done to develop Beluran, especially in terms of infrastructure facilities.

"With my experience as a civil servant and in administration, I can improve the condition in Beluran," he said.

Other contenders for Beluran parliamentary seat are Rowiena Rasid from Parti Warisan (Warisan), Hausing Samsudin @ Sudin (Pejuangr) and Felix Joseph Saang, of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), who is contesting on Pakatan Harapan (PH) ticket.

In GE14, Ronald, who was then from UMNO, won the seat on BN's ticket with a majority of 7,115 votes. He left UMNO to join Bersatu in 2019.

Meanwhile in KINABATANGAN, Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin described Ronald's decision to run as a PN candidate for the Beluran parliamentary seat as a democratic process.

However, he expressed confidence in Benedict's capability to maintain BN's victory in the constituency.

"I'm not even sure if he (Ronald) is a GRS member or not. But, that's okay, this is democracy. He wants to contest and fight against BN, he is welcome," said Bung Moktar when met by reporters after the nomination process for GE15 at Dewan Sri Lamag here today.

Bung Moktar is defending the Kinabatangan seat in GE15.

He is in a straight fight against Warisan candidate Mazliwati Abdul Malek for the seat, which he has held for five terms since 1999.

-- BERNAMA