Two uncle-nephew contests amid intense battle for Sabah

Two uncles will lock horns with their nephews in the 16th Sabah state election, which will see multi-cornered contests in all the 73 seats up for grabs.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who is also the Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) president, will face off with his nephew Norazman Utoh Nain from Perikatan Nasional (PN) in Senallang.

In defending his seat, Mohd Shafie will also be challenged by Datu Pg Ahmad Datu Ali Alam (Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah), Mohammad Ramzan Abdul Wahab (USNO) and Madjalis Lais (Parti Cinta Sabah).

This is not the first time Mohd Shafie is facing a “family match”, as he had prevailed in a straight fight with his cousin Datuk Seri Nasir Tun Sakaran (BN) in the same constituency in the last general election in 2018.

In another “family match” this time, six-term incumbent Sulaman assemblyman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor will meet his nephew Datuk Aliasgar@Ali Ashgar Basri from Warisan in Sulaman.

“He is my uncle but politics is different and the struggle should continue,” said Aliasgar when asked by reporters about the Sabah Bersatu chief after the nomination process at Dewan Seri Sulaman here today.

Another contender in the constituency is Datuk Rekan Hussien from Parti Cinta Sabah.

-- BERNAMA