OTA KINABALU : The Inanam constituency will again see a crowded contest comes the State 17th Election. There were 10 candidates in the last election.
It will also be more interesting that two former assemblymen Datuk Dr Roland Chia and Datuk Kenny Chua and Majimbun siblings are expected to file their nomination papers on November 15.
Incumbent assembly man Datuk Peto Galim of PKR will definitely defend his seat in the November 29 pollings.
Peto is also Sabah PKR Deputy Chief and Sabah Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry.
Dr Roland Chia who held the seat on a PKR ticket from 2013 to 2018 is expected to contest as an independent candidate.
Kenny Chua, a one term assemblyman, will be contesting for Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR).
At the time of the 73-seats State Legislative Assembly dissolution, Dr Roland Chia was a Political Secretary to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajj Hajiji Hajj Noor.
Kenny Chua was chairman of the state-owned Sabah Air.
Joining the fray will be two children of former Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Majimbun.
Edna Majimbun, who had resigned as the Kota Kinabalu Native Court (MAN) District Chief is confirmed contesting for Warisan.
Edna’s brother, businessman Shone Majimbun, has announced contesting as an Independent and affiliated with Black Wave, a grouping of loners headed by Kudat member of Parliament candidates Datuk Verdon Bahanda.
In the Sept 2020 16th State Election (PRN16) Peto won the Inanam seat with a majority of 5,638 votes after obtaining 8,586 votes, defeating his closest challenger from the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Datuk William Majinbon who obtained 2,948 votes.
At that time, Peto faced a 10-cornered fight with other candidates at the time being former Sabah Chief Minister, Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat representing the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Kenny Chua contested as an independent candidate.
This time, Peto is once again expected to face a lot of competition comes November 29.
Paul Anap had also been named by Parti Impian Sabah as their candidate.
PKDM will also be fielding the party’s coordinator for Inanam Datuk George Guntarik.
Also mentioned are the names of a former headmaster, Martin Sibit who is expected to contest on an independent ticket and Cecily Wilfred Gismin from the People’s Aspiration Party.
Barisan Nasional (BN) is expected to field a candidate through its collaboration with PH.
If all of them come forward on nomination day, the Inanam state seat will once again witness a fierce competition may be more than the 10 candidates in 2020.
The majority of voters in the Inanam state seat consist of 21,789 non-Muslim Bumiputera voters and 12,897 Chinese voters. The others are Muslims Bumiputera and other ethnic groups.
There are 45,551 registered voters in Inanam.