Sabah PKR chairman Mustapha Sakmud said reporters should ask Yamani instead, but added that “we will announce it later”, The Star reported.

He said this after launching the election operations room for the Api-Api state seat in Kota Kinabalu.

PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was also at the launch, said applications to join the party could be made online. “The right person to ask is our secretary-general,” she said, referring to Fuziah Salleh.

FMT has contacted Fuziah for comment.

Yamani, the eldest son of Sabah governor Musa Aman, is a former deputy finance minister. He won the Sipitang parliamentary seat on a Barisan Nasional ticket in the 2018 general election. He later joined Bersatu and did not defend the seat in the 2022 election.

However, Yamani’s name emerged as a potential candidate for PKR for the Sipitang seat in recent weeks. The seat is currently held by Matbali Musah of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah, a member of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

Christina Liew’s absence

Separately, Mustapha played down the absence of former Sabah PKR chief Christina Liew at today’s launch. There has been speculation that Liew would be dropped as a candidate in the upcoming Sabah election.

“Perhaps she has other commitments as a minister and had to attend several programmes today. That’s why she couldn’t be present here,” he said. Liew is state minister for tourism, culture and environment.