GE14 | Sabah BN has fielded at least five candidates related to caretaker Sabah chief minister Musa Aman for the coming general election.

The announcement of candidates made by Musa in Kota Kinabalu today saw him defending his Sungai Sibuga state seat while his brother, caretaker foreign minister Anifah Aman will be defending the Kimanis parliamentary seat.

Making his election debut is Musa's son Yamani Hafez Musa, who is also the Sabah BN Youth chief. He will be contesting the Sipitang parliamentary seat.

Musa's son-in-law Mohd Ariffin Mohd Arif – who is married to Musa's only daughter – will be defending the Membakut state seat.

Meanwhile, Musa's in-law Ghulam Haidar Khan Bahamas, who is also the caretaker assistant minister of infrastructure development in Sabah will be defending the Kawang state seat.

Another relative, incumbent Gum-Gum state representative Zakaria Mohd Edris has now been fielded for the Libaran parliamentary seat. Zakaria is related to Musa through the latter’s wife, Faridah Tussin.

With five candidates related to him, it is apparent that Musa is keeping it all in the family.

'Family politics' in Sabah is not uncommon, though in certain circumstances, family members face off against one another instead of being on the same side.

The Tambunan state seat is expected to see a showdown among three brothers from three different political parties.

They are incumbent Tambunan state representative and Parti Bersatu Sabah president Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Sabah State Reform Party (Star) president Jeffrey Kitingan and Parti Warisan Sabah's Crispin Kitingan.

Over on Sabah's east coast, Warisan president and incumbent Semporna MP Mohd Shafie Apdal is likely to see his cousins in Semporna's state seats of Senallang and Bugaya.

Sabah BN today announced that incumbent Senallang state representative Nasir Sakaran will be defending his seat, while Razak Sakaran will be contesting in Bugaya.

Shafie's brother Mohd Yusof Apdal, meanwhile, has been retained to defend the Lahad Datu state seat.