Labuan heats up with six-cornered fight featuring former UMNO allies, new faces

LABUAN: Labuan, a hotly-contested parliamentary constituency will see a six-cornered contest involving three former UMNO heavyweights and three first-time candidates from Pakatan Harapan (PH), Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) and Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang).

Incumbent, Labuan Parti Warisan (Warsian) division head Datuk Rozman Isli is challenged by Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Datuk Bashir Alias (Labuan UMNO division head) and Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman who is the Labuan Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) division head, representing Perikatan Nasional (PN).

Rozman and Suhaili were Labuan UMNO division heads before joining Warisan and Bersatu respectively, while Bashir is still in UMNO as division head and Labuan BN chairman.

The three new faces are Datuk Dr Ramli Tahir of PH who is Labuan Amanah division head, Dayang Rusimah @ Raynie Datuk Mohd Din of PBM who is Labuan PBM division head and Datuk Seri Ramle Mat Daly representing Pejuang.

Suhaili was Labuan Member of Parliament for two terms having won in the 1999 and 2004 general elections, while Rozman (also a two-term MP) has served as Labuan MP since 2013, having won in GE13 and GE14.

For two-term senator since 2017, Bashir Alias, this is the first time he is contesting in the general election.

Meanwhile, Dr Ramli Tahir is a medical doctor who has been running a private clinic in the town centre for over two decades, and this GE15 is his first appearance.

Dayang Rusimah @ Raynie, is well-known for her active involvement in various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and she is the daughter of a former senator in the 1980s, Datuk Mohd Din.

The announcement of candidates was made by Labuan returning officer Yusup Mohamad as soon as the nomination was completed at 10am today.

Labuan now has 44,484 electors compared to 28,356 in GE14.

--BERNAMA