'You wanna bet?': Pandikar confident in second Pintasan bid

Usno president Pandikar Amin Mulia today appeared undeterred in his second bid for the Pintasan seat, even as Sabah election contenders announced ahead of official nominations have so far featured mostly younger candidates.

The 70-year-old was named as Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)’s candidate to replace the incumbent assemblyperson, 37-year-old Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan) youth chief Fairuz Renddan.

Quizzed on his chances, Pandikar, when met by reporters after GRS’ candidate announcement in Kota Kinabalu, reportedly said: “My comment is, I will win.”

“You wanna bet with me? Anyone wants to bet with me that I will win?

“I’m confident - I must make sure of this victory. If you’re not confident, you wanna bet with me? Anyone?” the former Dewan Rakyat speaker was quoted as saying by Astro Awani.

He attributed his confidence to Usno now contesting as part of the incumbent GRS coalition, of which he is deputy president, unlike during the last state election in 2020.

“I was caught between BN and Perikatan Nasional. I got 2,660 votes and lost by only 84 votes.

“Now, I’m contesting as a candidate from the ruling party,” he said.

At the time, Pandikar lost a six-way contest for Pintasan to Fairuz, who won on a PN ticket.

Since then, Fairuz joined an exodus of Bersatu lawmakers into Gagasan, a party led by GRS chairperson Hajiji Noor, while Usno was accepted as a GRS coalition member in May 2022.

The Pintasan seat, under the Kota Belud parliamentary constituency, was created ahead of the 2020 state election.

The Kota Belud constituency also comprises the Tandek, Usukan, and Tempasuk state seats. Pandikar has represented the latter two before, winning them in the 1982, 1994, and 1998 state polls.

Incumbent may contest as indie

Separately, Fairuz today hinted that he may contest as an independent after being dropped from GRS’ candidate list.

Fairuz, who is also the state’s caretaker youth and sports assistant minister, said he would first consult his supporters and campaign machinery before deciding.

“Whether I contest as an independent or not is secondary; I don’t want to rush.

“Whatever I do will have a big impact, not only in Pintasan but also on the Youth machinery,” he said after attending a Gagasan Youth executive council meeting in Kota Kinabalu.

Fairuz said while he respected Hajiji’s decision to field Pandikar, there has been disappointment among his supporters.

“We understand the frustration among our supporters and machinery. I’ll meet the president (Hajiji) soon to seek advice.

“Contesting independently or not, that’s a serious decision that must be thought through carefully,” he said.

Fairuz also revealed that he turned down offers from several local and peninsula-based parties for him to contest under their banner, out of respect for his current party.

“I’ve been contacted by many parties, but I turned them down politely because I respect them as friends, and I respect my party.

“The struggle must remain with the party; that’s what matters,” he said.

Fairuz, added that his work in Pintasan remains unfinished, particularly in implementing development and community projects.

“For me, the struggle in Pintasan isn’t over. There’s still much to be done, especially in distributing the remaining quick grants to landowners,” he said.

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