Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) chairman Hajiji Noor and his Sabah Barisan Nasional counterpart Bung Moktar Radin are said to have achieved comfortable wins in Sulaman and Lamag, respectively, while Warisan president Shafie Apdal was on course to win in Senallang.

Similarly, Upko president Ewon Benedick was set to defend his Kadamaian seat.

Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku president Jeffrey Kitingan retained his Tambunan seat, managing to be elected despite his party going solo following its withdrawal from GRS last month.

Former Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia, the Usno president, failed to win the Pintasan seat for GRS in his second attempt at contesting the seat. In 2020, he lost to Fairuz Renddan, then of Sabah Bersatu.

Pandikar’s wife Diana Diego @ Yusrina Sufiana, contesting for GRS, was also defeated in Sekong by her rival from BN.

Salleh Said Keruak of BN, a former chief minister, was defeated in Usukan.

Also defeated was former foreign minister Anifah Aman, the Parti Cinta Sabah president, who lost in Bongawan at the second time of trying. He was defeated by his former protege, BN’s Mohamad Alamin, the current deputy foreign minister and Kimanis MP.

The biggest losers, however, were the 8 DAP candidates, most of whom lost to Warisan.

This included Sabah DAP chief Phoong Jin Zhe and his deputy, Chan Foong Hin, in Likas and Tanjung Aru, respectively.

Phoong was previously a state minister while Chan is the two-term Kota Kinabalu MP and deputy plantation and commodities minister.

Also defeated was DAP’s two-term Sandakan MP Vivian Wong in Elopura and former two-term Kapayan assemblyman Jannie Lasimbang, who failed to get a third term representing the constituency.