KOTA KINABALU : Upko Deputy President Datuk Wilfred Bumburing said Barisan Nasional (BN) has "favourable" chances of retaining the Tuaran parliamentary seat.

Taking over the seat from party Secretary-General Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau after he was nominated as BN candidate to contest the Tuaran seat in the March 8 general election, he said the positive scenario was partly due to his predecessor's good job in addressing issues affecting the voters.

He said the existing cordial relationship and cooperation between the various BN component parties in Tuaran also gave him this confidence.

"To me, it is not much different (between State Assembly and Parliament) even though I have been out of the Dewan for two terms," he said after Upko's candidates list was announced by party President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok on Friday.

Bumburing, 56, a former Deputy Chief Minister, said what was most important about being an elected representative was to serve the rakyat by bringing development to them.

Meanwhile, Upko candidate for the Kuamut state seat, Masiung Banah said incumbent assemblyman, Johnny Intang and he would meet with the party president later in the day.

"He will pledge his full support and commitment to me as the candidate," he said.

Incumbent Putatan MP Datuk Dr Marcus Mojigoh who is the only Upko MP not involved in the line-up reshuffle said with his re-nomination he was prepared to work hard, which is expected of him by the constituents.

"I thank the party president for having the confidence in me serving another term. Although there has been a lot of developments in Putatan I am also aware that there is still a lot to do.

"This is especially in terms of delivery of development projects as well as facilitate the creation more job opportunities," he said.

"We don't expect it to be easy and we need the cooperation of all the component parties in Putatan, which I know has been very cordial all this while like with Putatan BN chairman Datuk Yahya Hussin," he said when asked about his chances of retaining the seat.

Mojigoh hoped to be given another mandate to serve in Putatan in order to continue and complete all the development programmes planned by him in the last term.