PERIKATAN Nasional has given its blessings for independent Kenny Chua to contest against its allies PBS for the Inanam seat, said the incumbent candidate.

“It has given me its blessings to contest here,” Chua said at a ceramah in Kg Mabpai in Inanam tonight.

Sporting a Perikatan vest and backed by some 20 volunteers from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s coalition, Chua said he ought to contest the seat as he is the incumbent.

“I was supposed to be nominated here again to face my voters after what happened. But (PBS) didn’t keep its promise.

“I do not blame PBS but we were promised that we would face the voters again if the Sabah assembly was dissolved,” Chua said.

He said it was initially agreed that Perikatan component Star would contest eight and PBS would field candidates in 15 seats, but PBS had reneged on the deal.

After nominations yesterday, PBS is fielding candidates in 16 seats that its allies Barisan Nasional and Perikatan are also contesting.

Chua said it was a last-minute decision for him to run with Perikatan’s support against PBS.

“After what PBS did, everybody got angry and then this happened. I think Perikatan was not happy with PBS as the party is not part of Perikatan.”

At the ceramah, however, Chua made little reference to PBS, preferring to slam Sabah caretaker chief minister Mohd Shafie Apdal and former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad instead.

“I’m not the ‘frog’, as Musa Aman won first before all the hopping to allow Shafie to become chief minister.

“If I was a frog, I would’ve done it earlier. I supported Shafie because I believed in him. But after 22 months, it failed.

“And, before he could be a good chief minister, he wanted to be prime minister.”

He said Dr Mahathir was also at fault for putting the idea into Shafie’s head.

“Dr Mahathir resigned and lost his position, and when that happened, he nominated Shafie. Why is (Dr Mahathir) bringing his fight against (PKR president) Anwar Ibrahim to Sabah?”

He said this was why he, along with 12 other assemblymen, chose to abandon Warisan and support Musa in July. 

He said Shafie had also failed to lift Sabah as the state economy had declined under Warisan.

In the Sabah elections, Perikatan is represented by Bersatu, Star and SAPP, while BN is represented by Umno, MCA and PBRS.

Polling is set for September 26.

According to the Election Commission, 1.12 million voters are registered to vote in the state polls.

The state assembly was dissolved last month after a failed attempt by Perikatan and BN to take over the state. – September 13, 2020.