Sabah Umno’s announcement of its candidates for GE13 today was met with a combination of jubilation and protests.

While incumbent Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan received loud cheers when it was announced that he will defend the seat, colleague Ronald Kiandee was not so lucky.

Sabah Umno chief Musa Aman’s ( at the podium ) announcement that Ronald would defend the Beluran seat was met with loud boos from some parts of the packed room.

Soon after the names were announced, loud protests were heard from the Lahad Datu Umno Wanita members present.

“No one will support this candidate who is not from Lahad Datu!” a woman yelled repeatedly as she left the function room at the state Umno headquarters in Karamunsing.

Musa had earlier announced that Lahad Datu, where the incursion by the so-called Sulu sultan’s army took place, would not be defended by incumbent Datu Nasrun Datu Mansur but bybusinessman Yusuf Afdal.

On his part, Yusuf told reporters that he did not expect to take over from Datu Nasrun, who will be nominated for the Silam parliamentary seat.

Asked about the protests later, Musa said that such reactions are to be expected from the camps of those who were not selected.

“It is normal. There will be those who are disappointed, but we should all accept the decision of the leadership as we had made that promise to the prime minister,” he said.

He also said that he hopes that there will be no sabotage.

“Sabotage is not encouraged. We all struggle for the party and we have vowed to do so to ourselves and to the people.

“So we cannot take to sabotage simply because we were not chosen,” said the caretaker chief minister, who also stressed on this during his announcement speech.

He added that he had already met with those who were dropped as candidates prior to the announcement and that all of them had accepted their fates.

The list announced today was also incomplete, with the candidate for the Tenom seat still unknown.

“We will make the announcement later,” he said.

Umno takes lion’s share

Umno will be contesting 32 of the 60 state seats and 13 out of the 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah.

Most of its candidates are incumbents, including Bung Mokhtar Radin who will defend Kinabatangan, and Mohd Shafie Apdal who will defend Semporna, with seven fresh faces introduced.

Defending Beaufort in place of Lajim Ukin, who defected to found Pakatan Rakyat-friendly PPPS is incumbent Klias assemblyperson Azizah Mohd Dun.

Meanwhile, PBS will contest 13 state seats and five parliamentary seats, with its president Joseph Pairin Kitingan ( left ) contesting the Keningau parliamentary seat against brother Jeffrey Kitingan (Star) and the Tambunan state seat.

It will field newcomer Mary Yap in Tawau, which was previously won by SAPP before it left the BN.

Caretaker federal minister Maximus Ongkili will defend the Kota Marudu seat.

Upko president Bernard Dompok will defend Penampang, with the party contesting four parliamentary seats and six state seats.

VK Liew, who heads LDP, will defend Sandakan, while his party will contest four state seats.

PBRS chief Joseph Kurup will defend Pensiangan.

Pakatan Rakyat has yet to announce its candidates due to overlapping claims within the coalition and its allies.

SAPP will announce its candidates tomorrow.