Bersatu aborts candidates unveiling at BN-PN event, to announce separately

SABAH POLLS | A joint BN-Perikatan Nasional (PN) event to announce their candidates for the Sabah election was converted into a get-together reception at the 11th hour.

This was after Bersatu, which was scheduled to unveil their candidates together with Umno, decided to do so separately later today.

This was confirmed by Sabah Bersatu deputy chief Masidi Manjun.

"The candidate announcement will be made by the respective parties. PN will announce its candidates at 3pm at the Sabah Bersatu headquarters," he told Malaysiakini.

Read more: Sabah Decides 2020: Making sense of the players, parties and battles

The event in Kota Kinabalu was promoted as a candidate announcement since Tuesday, but the emcee abruptly announced that it would just be a get-together after an almost hour-long delay.

Sabah BN chief Bung Moktar Radin arrived at around 10.45am and state Bersatu chief Hajiji Md Noor only came about 30 minutes later.

Hajiji was coy when asked about the sudden change of the event's purpose.

"We will inform you," he said when asked by journalists, moments before the event started.  

The gathering today was attended by more than 500 members and grassroots leaders who were in high spirits.

At a press conference later, Bung unveiled the list of Umno candidates who will be fielded in the Sept 26 state election.

He said BN allies, MCA and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah will announce their candidates at a separate event.

The announced Umno candidates for the Sabah election is as follows. However, until they are formally fielded on nomination day (Sept 12), changes are still possible.

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