UMNO will be ready for the Kimanis parliamentary seat by-election following yesterday’s election court ruling to declare the seat vacant, said deputy president Mohamad Hasan.

He said preparations were under way, although the matter was still under appeal.

“There are 14 more days left for any of the involved parties to file an appeal against the election court’s decision. Anyway, Umno and Barisan Nasional need to be prepared.

“Umno state chief Bung Moktar Radin and other top leaders will call for a meeting to deploy our machinery and all preparations for a by-election.

“The question if there will be an election is secondary, but our readiness is important. A prepared mind always produces good results,” he said after officiating the Tuaran Umno delegates’ meeting today.

Yesterday, the election court in Kota Kinabalu declared the outcome of the 14th general election for the Kimanis seat null and void after finding irregularities in the form of additional ballots in ballot boxes.

The incumbent, former foreign minister Anifah Aman, is set to appeal to reclaim his poll victory. The Election Commission, also a party to the suit, has said it will not appeal the court’s decision.

Anifah won the seat under the Umno banner but has since become an independent.

Mohamad said the Kimanis seat is traditionally an Umno seat and, therefore, other opposition parties should respect this.

He said Umno had sat out of the recent Sandakan by-election to allow Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), a former BN ally, to contest.

“Sandakan was not an Umno seat… I think we should respect each other. We had assisted PBS there and worked as a single opposition bloc.

“The same must be translated in Kimanis if it happens. So, it must be a quid pro quo arrangement,” he added.

Mohamad also said he believed other opposition parties in Sabah would not be interested in contesting in Kimanis.

According to him, Umno would likely still win in Kimanis as the present sentiment has changed since the Pakatan Harapan government took over federal power.

He said PH was now experiencing what Umno and BN had before GE14.

Aside from failing to fulfil promises in its poll manifesto, there was now widespread racial and religious problems affecting the rakyat, he said.

He said former Umno warlords, namely (Membakut state rep) Ariffin Arif, Anifah and Karim Bujang, who were “practically relatives”, no longer had influence, and voters could now vote for the candidates of their choice.

“I believe if the Kimanis by-election happens, it will be a true test of how Umno will fare in the next general election.” – August 17, 2019.