TWO OF FOUR FEDERAL DEPUTY MINISTERS WIN SEATS IN SABAH STATE POLLS

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- Two of the four federal deputy ministers who contested in the 17th Sabah State Election have won their seats.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup won the Sook seat with a majority of 4,727 votes, defeating his four challengers, including the incumbent, Datuk Ellron Angin of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

Representing Barisan Nasional (BN), Arthur, who is also president of Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and Pensiangan MP, secured 8,307 votes.

Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Mohammad Yusof Apdal, who is also Lahad Datu MP, contesting under Warisan, succeeded in the eight-cornered fight in Silam after garnering a majority of 1,257 votes.

However, the fortunes did not favour two other deputy ministers, namely Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin (BN), and Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Chan Foong Hin (PH).

In the nine-cornered contest for the Bogawan seat, Mohamad, who is also Kimanis MP, obtained 4,569 votes, but lost to Warisan’s Dr Daud Yusof, who secured 5,542 votes.

Chan, who is also Kota Kinabalu MP, lost in the nine-cornered contest for the Tanjung Aru seat, obtaining 2,532 votes.

Meanwhile, former entrepreneur development and cooperatives minister Datuk Ewon Benedick, who is also United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO), succeeded in retaining the Kadamaian seat after obtaining 11,977 votes with a comfortable majority of 9,672 in the eight-cornered contest.

The 17th Sabah State Election saw 596 candidates contesting for 73 seats.

-- BERNAMA