MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department Rahman Dahlan is prepared for the prospect that he may not be fielded as a candidate in the upcoming polls.

This comes following hints from Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Kota Belud yesterday that Rahman is on the Barisan Nasional candidates transfer list.

Rahman was previously tipped to be transferred from Kota Belud to Sepanggar.

“I will leave the decision (as to where I will contest) to the prime minister.

“It doesn’t matter whether or not I am contesting. But I will still give my support to any choice of candidate.

“I will leave the question of whether I will stand in Sepanggar to the prime minister, but my guess is as good as everyone else’s,” he said after a small-medium entrepreneurs talk in Inanam, Kota Kinabalu, today.

Rahman said he would still support the prime minister’s choice for candidate in Sepanggar, adding that only Barisan Nasional had the experience to govern and plan for the future of the country.

He said this was in comparison with the opposition parties, which had nothing to offer but complaints and condemnation.

However, Abdul Rahman’s increased presence in the Sepanggar parliamentary has met opposition among members from the Umno division.

The Sepanggar incumbent, Jumat Idris, has been suspended from Umno for six years following a tiff with the Sabah Umno liaison chairman, Musa Aman, in 2015.  

His suspension was later reduced and is expected to expire this year.

Rahman, who is also the minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), said RM125 million has been allocated under the Eleventh Malaysia Plan to develop its SMEs and push more incubator programmes.

He said a one-stop centre would be established in Menggatal to allow SMEs to deal easily with government red tape.

“I have spoken to City Hall and the mayor has agreed to assist EPU in establishing the centre,” he said.

98% of entrepreneurs in Sabah are SMEs. – March 24, 2018.