GE14 | Silam Umno division chief Mohd Yusof Apdal has time and again insisted that his loyalty is and will always remain with Umno.

But as the younger brother of Parti Warisan Sabah president Mohd Shafie Apdal, many could not help but question whether his loyalty truly lies with Umno/BN.

Even right up until the day Sabah BN announced its list of candidates, a mere two days before nomination day, there were talks that Yusof would be dropped from the BN lineup.

Thankfully for Yusof who has been representing the people of Lahad Datu in the last five years, he was still chosen by BN to defend his seat despite his familial ties with Shafie.

Despite rumours that he would be dropped, Yusof said he simply remained firm with his belief in God, pointing out how adversities would only make a person stronger.

"Allah is with us if we are steadfast and patient," he told Malaysiakini when met in Lahad Datu.

Admitting that he could only leave his fate to God, whatever the result had been in relation to his candidacy, Yusof said he believes that "Allah knows best".

"As such, I wasn't worried about being fielded or not," he said.

Yusof may have made it very clear that he was loyal to Umno, yet, some may still question his loyalty.

But the incumbent Lahad Datu state assemblyperson simply cannot be bothered by such scepticism.

"Whatever other people say about me, that they don't trust me, let Allah determine my stand. Today, you can see how I am still here (with Umno)."

Yusof, in October last year, was arrested after he presented himself at the MACC office in Kota Kinabalu. His arrest came after the arrest of another brother, Hamid Apdal.

Shafie himself was arrested on October 19 after his brothers' arrests.

Despite his arrest, Yusof after his release said he remained loyal to Umno.

The arrests were linked to MACC's investigation into alleged misappropriation of at least RM1.5 billion in rural development funds intended for Sabah.

Shafie served as rural and regional development minister before he was sacked in 2015 for questioning caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak's role in the 1MDB scandal.

After his suspension from Umno, Shafie- - who was also Umno vice-president - left the party and subsequently formed Warisan.

Rise not due to brother

Yusof, meanwhile, admitted there were even those who believe that he would be jumping ship should a situation in which the opposition is to require several seats to win Sabah, were to materialise.

So how does he convince such people that he will not be jumping ship?

For Yusof, only time would be the determiner.

"When the time comes, that will be the proof that I'm still as what I am now."

Speaking further about his brother, Yusof denied that he is where he is today due to Shafie (photo).

"It's just a coincidence that we're siblings. Politically, we are not in the same division. He's in Semporna, I'm here in Silam.

"My brother did not assist me to become the Silam Umno division chief. My brother did not lobby for me.

"(There is) nothing to say that I'm here because of my brother.

"But I can say that I am here because of the people. I'm here because of Umno."

Without Umno, added Yusof, he would not have become its division leader and he would not have become BN's candidate for the seat of Lahad Datu.

Despite the scepticism, Yusof said he still feels a need to stay loyal to BN, pointing out how the coalition had proven its might in various instances in the past.

"Until today, no party can deny what we have done for the country," he said.

Don't gamble stability for 'change'

While the opposition has promised that it will do many things for the country, Yusof said this does not mean that such things would become reality.

Asked whether the opposition should perhaps be given the chance to rule, Yusof stressed that this was not "something you can play around with".

"This is about the country, it's not something that we can gamble with by giving the other side a chance.

"We have to convince the voters that this is the government which has proven that it can develop and protect the people.

"Why try something which you might not even think will be successful? BN has been successful, why give the other side a chance?"

With polling day set to occur in two days' time, Yusof is thankful for the support he said he still receives from the people.

"I think this election is more or less the same with the previous election although we have heard how BN is supposedly facing an uphill battle in this election.

"(But) voters here have come to realise that they have no other choice than BN which we have said is a party that has contributed a lot especially for voters in Lahad Datu.

"InsyaAllah we feel that we can win again this time," said Yusof.

In the last general election, Yusof defeated three other contenders for the Lahad Datu seat by a vote-majority of 8,415.

This time around, Yusof will face Warisan's Dumi Masdal and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah's Wong Yu Chin.

Despite affirming that he loves his brother, Shafie, last week, he appealed to Lahad Datu voters to vote the latter out.

An important timber exporting port, Lahad Datu, which has a population of over 30,000 people, is located some 150 kilometres away from Tawau, Sabah's third largest town.

Lahad Datu is also surrounded by palm oil plantations. Palm oil is, in fact, the town's main economic source.