KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) is ramping up preparations for early polls and mobilising its election machinery statewide.
To kick off the preparations, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Bung Moktar Radin will launch BN election machinery and Blue Wave assembly for the Kota Belud and Tuaran parlimentary constituencies in Kota Belud on Sept 10.
According to his Press Secretary Jaafar Abdul Wahid, the simultaneous launching of the GE15 machinery and Blue Wave assembly is one of the programs, scheduled to be attended by Bung this month.
“He (Bung) will join the people and Barisan Nasional supporters in Kota Belud on Oct 10 to launch the Kota Belud and Tuaran election machinery as well as Blue Wave assembly as part of the preparations for the 15th General Election,” he said a statement, here.
Meanwhile, the battle for the Kota Belud and Tuaran Parliamentary seats this time is expected to be tough which will see the clash of several former federal ministers and a former deputy minister.
Many political observers predict a “rematch” between former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak representing BN and incumbent Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis from Parti Warisan Sabah is on the cards for the Kota Belud parliamentary seat.
Unlike in the GE14, Warisan this time around is expected to go solo without the support of its opposition ally Pakatan Harapan (PH) as hinted by Warisan president Datuk Seri Mobd Shafie Apdal recently.
However, PH has yet to indicate whether it will contest the Kota Belud parliamentary seat or otherwise.
For the Tuaran parliamentary seat, political observers predict that the two former federal ministers – Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau representing PH and Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahalan from BN might likely be involved in a multi-cornered fight for the mixed seat.
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has already expressed its intention to put up a candidate for the Tuaran parliamentary seat.
Madius, who is also UPKO president, is expected to use the PH logo as sign of unity for the first time in GE15.