Muda co-founder and vice-president Shahrizal Denci will contest in Kota Marudu, a parliamentary seat held by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Maximus Ongkili since 2004.

Shahrizal (above, right) is the only candidate that will be fielded in Sabah by the youth-centric political party for the 15th general election (GE15).

In announcing his candidacy, Muda deputy president and election director Amira Aisya Abd Aziz said her party would not waver from facing a minister in Kota Marudu.

"Muda will go to Kota Marudu, which people called Ongkili’s stronghold, but we’re not afraid, because this time around Muda will fight a minister," she said.

"I am pleased to announce Shahrizal as our candidate. He is a Sabah native and our co-founder, who joined Muda on the first day of our establishment," she added.

“Shahrizal’s candidacy was decided by Sabah Muda itself,” she told a press conference in Kota Kinabalu.

Shahrizal, 40, a Sabah native growing up in Ranau, graduated from Universiti Malaysia Perlis in computer engineering in 2006. In 2011, he set foot in agriculture and runs a farm in Kundasang. 

He pledged to fight for farmers and rubber tappers. 

“It’s sad to see farmers stopped planting paddy in Kota Marudu. The paddy is priced at 20 sen per kg but the input price is much higher. Similarly, we used to celebrate the sweet corn festival annually in the past but there was hardly any corn planting anymore.

“(That’s why) Muda and Pakatan Harapan want to bring a change, we want to start with Kota Marudu,” said Shahrizal. 

Kota Marudu, which was previously known as the Bandau parliamentary seat, has been held by Ongkili since 1995. 

In 2018 general election, Ongkili managed to defend the seat with a majority of 1,774 in a four-cornered fight. He secured 38.44 percent of the votes.

Beside Ongkili, Shahrizal may face Warisan’s Jilid Kuminding, a former diplomat, and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Malaysia (PKDM) leader Wetrom Bahanda in a multi-cornered fight.

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