Upko man sets claim on Tanjung Aru seat for coming Sabah polls

PETALING JAYA: An Upko branch chief, Marcus Mojigoh, may contest the Tanjung Aru seat as an independent candidate if the party does not field a candidate there in the coming Sabah state assembly elections.

Mojigoh, a former three-term Putatan MP, said he would consider contesting the seat if Upko does not nominate a candidate and other political parties continue to fight one another.

“I don’t mind spending my own money and contesting as an independent candidate,” he told reporters in Kota Kinabalu today, The Borneo Post reported.

However, he would give his full support to the party’s candidate if Upko decides to contest in Tanjung Aru.

The seat is currently held by Warisan’s Junz Wong, who was elected in 2020 with a majority of 3,147 votes in an eight-cornered fight.

Mojigoh said that if he contested, his goal would be to secure at least 2,000 votes so as not to lose his deposit.

He said that Tanjung Aru, which includes the areas of Tanjung Aru, Sembulan, and Pulau Gaya, had approximately 20,000 voters.

The 73-year-old said he would also urge the government to develop Pulau Gaya as a tourist destination.