SABAH Two of the seven candidates announced by Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah as PKR candidates for Sabah in a pre-emptive move earlier this month have today defected to Umno.

Saidil Simoi, who was named for Kota Belud, and Mazhry Nasir, named for Putatan, submitted their application forms to Sabah Umno secretary Yahya Hussin, The Star reported.

According to The Star , Saidil and Mazhry, who are PKR division chiefs for Kota Belud and Sandakan, were also joined by two other division chiefs.

They are Irianshah Yunus (Kalabakan) and Abdul Zainal Atin (Putatan), as well as Putatan deputy division chief Zainuddin Hassan.

Mazhry, who led the group, reportedly said that the promise of autonomy by PKR is “a lie to Sabah PKR members and also to the people who have put their trust in PKR all these years”.

Of Ansari’s list of seven, including himself, only two - Anthony Mandiau and Jonathan Yassin - made it to the official PKR candidate list for Tandek and Ranau respectively.

NONE Ansari ( right ) and colleague Dr Chong Eng Leong, who the former named for Sepanggar, have been very vocal about their dissatisfaction but remain party members.

The Tuaran chief’s daughter Erveana, is however contesting as an Independent and is campaigning alongside another Tuaran PKR-endorsed candidate, Akhbar Ali.

The Tuaran PKR division also claims to endorse PKR’s Kiulu candidate Rhodes Panilau, but he denies an alliance with the Independents.

Instead, Rhodes reportedly pledged support for Wilfred Bumburing, who is contesing the Tuaran seat on the PKR ticket, instead of Ansari.

More power for Rahman Dahlan

The defection today could further strengthen BN’s Kota Belud candidate Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who is slugging it out against four others.

He had won in 2008 with a majority of less than 7 percent of votes - an anomaly amongst Umno candidates in Sabah who achieved landslide wins - against Saidil.

Saidil, who contested Kota Belud for PKR in 2004 and 2008, was sidelined this time for PKR greenhorn Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.

Damage from the departure of the two Putatan division leaders is likely to be limited due to cooperation between DAP and PAS.

DAP’s Dr Joseph Lee is contesting the parliamentary seat of Putatan, which has a majority Muslim-bumiputera electorate, in a tag team with PAS candidate for state seat Tanjong Aru, Hamid Ismail.

It may, however, affect Lee’s votes in the other state constituency which falls under Putatan , Petagas, contested by PKR’s Mat Yunin Atin, although this might have already been expected.

This is despite Putatan being a 15-minute drive from downtown Kota Kinabalu, won by the DAP in 2008, likely due to the muted PKR campaign in the city.

Mat Yunin has also not been seen campaigning with Lee.

Defections seem to have had minimal impact on the campaign in the capital city, however, with senior DAP Sabah Edward Mujie’s departure to Upko days before nomination day hardly an issue today.

Kalabakan, meanwhile, is an Umno stronghold, won uncontested by Ghafur Salleh in 2008, but now contested by an astounding seven candidates.