SUNDAY-9TH MARCH 2008-HISTORIC MILESTONE FOR UPKO AS PARTY SWEEPS ALL 10 SEATS

HISTORIC MILESTONE FOR UPKO AS PARTY SWEEPS ALL 10 SEATS

PENAMPANG:
Barisan Nasional (BN) made a clean sweep of all three seats under the Penampang parliamentary constituency. Making a victorious comeback after serving two terms as Ranau member of parliament, Upko president Tan Sri Bernard Dompok led the charge winning the Penampang parliamentary seat by a 3,063-vote majority. The former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department earned a. total of 13,400 votes to beat Parti Keadilan Rakyat candidate Dr Edwin Bosie who finished a close second with 10,337 votes, and two other candidates. The other candidates, Dr Anthony Tibok and Willybroad Missih received 696 and 404 votes respectively. The Kepayan state seat meanwhile was retained by BN-MCA incumbent Datuk Edward Khoo, who received 6,162 votes to win by a 2,062-vote majority over DAP’s Stephen Jimbangan who garnered 4,100 votes and Datuk Chau Chin Tang of Keadilan who received 3,658 votes. Outgoing Penampang par1iamentary incumbent Donald Mojuntin on the other hand saw success in Moyog, winning with a 2,685-vote majority. He garnered 6,782 votes in the state constituency, while Keadilan’s Moris Miji received 4,097 votes and Willybroad received 166 votes. Upko also achieved a historical milestone yesterday, as all 10 of its candidates contesting four parliamentary and six state seats emerged victorious in their respective constituencies. Joining Dompok and Donald in the victory march were parliamentary candidates Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing(Tuaran), Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh (Putatan) and Datuk Siringan Gubat (Ranau) and state candidates Masiung Banah (Kuamut), John Teo (Kuala Penyu), Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin (Paginatan), Justin Guka (Bingkor) and Datuk Bobbey Suan (Nabawan). Dompok, when met at his residence in Nampasan, said he was happy to be back in Penampang, and he pledged to pick up from where he left off in developing the district and its people. “I want to continue some of the outstanding development projects, all the construction and above all I think there is a need to focus on certain things like human resource development,” he said. “I hope to sit down with the people here in order to sort out what is the best way to achieve the best for this constituency,” he said. On the clean sweep by Upko candidates, Dompok said it is important for all the winners to work hard to ensure they can deliver on the promises made to their respective constituents. “The pledges by the BN have to be carried out and we are here to ensure that what has been pledged by the BN will be carried out by the Government. “Everyone will have to work hard with their heart and mind in order that their constituencies will prosper under the BN Government, and I think the people ask for nothing less than that,” he said. When asked to comment on the fall of veteran BN leaders such as Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu, Dompok said it may require a review on how the coalition implements its policies. “This emphasises that the non- Malay population in this country has something to say to the Government. It is very loud and clear and I think we must play our part, seeing as the PM (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) said that everyone will have a place under the Malaysian sun,” he said.