KOTA KINABALU: The tussle for Kiulu state seat in the coming election is expected to be amongst the attention grabbers in this State, where a former journalist is expected to face off with an ex-beauty queen.
Kiulu seat incumbent Datuk Joniston Bangkuai from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), who was a New Straits Times (NST) reporter, is expected to be challenged by the Unduk Ngadau (harvest festival beauty pageant) 2007 winner, Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas.
Jo-Anna, who also came second in the Bintang RTM singing competition in 2009, recently became viral in social media as she was touted to be the face fielded by opposition Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) at the constituency.
Joniston, 55, when contacted, said he was ready to face anyone in Kiulu if his name was up for candidacy again.
"As a genuine Kiulu man, born and bred here, I understand the struggles and needs of the people as I myself come from a struggling family which once did rubber tapping and grew rice … Even had to go through grueling long walks to school," he said.
Joniston, who is also Sabah Tourism Board (STB) chairman, said during his one term representing Kiulu, he believed the people wanted to see development and progress continued at the area in the future.
"Kiulu is on the right track to achieve more growth. Many facilities have been prepared including road links, besides pioneering rural tourism and recently becoming a new subdistrict in Tuaran.
"All this was brought by Barisan Nasional (BN) and I am confident Kiulu folks wants to see a continuity of this," he said, adding that the solid cooperation among component parties allowed BN to continue becoming the choice of the people.
Jo-Anna, 29, who is deputy chief to the party’s Wirawati wing (equivalent to Puteri), said she was ready to carry out the responsibilities if chosen as candidate.
The wife of a doctor from Kajang, Selangor, however is leaving it up to the party leadership to make a decision.
"I am not sure yet as this is the party leadership's decision. But in Kiulu the majority of people are farmers, thus issues regarding land are close to their heart and this is what I will fight for," said the woman of Dusun and English mixed-parentage.
In the 13th General Election, Joniston won the Kiulu state seat by defeating PKR candidate Rhodes Panilau with 44 majority votes in a four-cornered fight, also participated by a candidate from Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and an independent.