PENAMPANG: Upko President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who is vying for the Penampang parliamentary seat spelled out what it would mean if the Kadazandusn-Murut (KDM) community give their vote to the opposition.

First, they will be more marginalised and their voice in Government will also weaken, he said.

"Besides, there's no way the opposition can win and form the Government both in Sabah or the whole of Malaysia," he said.

"If you vote for the opposition, you are weakening the voice that we have had. We are ready to take up issues to the Government's attention and we have the courage to do it, the courage and commitment to speak up for the rights of the people within the BN," said the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

"We have it all on record, we have served the people, we have not neglected our mandate, it is very clear. Look at the issues in Penampang that we have tackled like in MaangÉwe were even asked to get out of BN but we stood our ground.

"I have tackled contentious issues and I am willing to pay the price for it.

What I am saying here is we are the people who represent the KDM people. We feel that if we are in the opposition we would not be able to get our voice heard yet É only within the Government can we do so."

Dompok, who is moving back to his home base after serving two terms as Ranau MP, said this after the nomination process ended at Dewan Tun Fuad Stephens, Sunday.

His nomination was proposed by incumbent Moyog Assemblyman Philip Lasimbang and supported by Chong Pit Fah.

Dompok is up against Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Dr Edwin Jack Bosi as well as Independents Dr Anthony Tibok and Levired Misih @ Willybroad Missi in a four-cornered fight for the seat.

On whether there may be back-stabbing from Umno as its Penampang Division had openly expressed a wish to contest the Penampang parliament seat, Dompok said:

"No, I don't think so. Umno has enough seats in Sabah and I have a small party with only four Members of Parliament and six Assemblymen É but we are equal to the task."

Dompok and BN candidates for Kepayan, Datuk Edward Khoo and Moyog, Donald Peter Mojuntin arrived at the nomination centre at about 9.30am, accompanied by over 1,000 supporters.

Khoo, who is defending his seat in a three-cornered fight against PKR's Datuk Chau Chin Tang and DAP's Stephen J Jimbangan, expect it will be a fair contest between them.

In stating that his re-election will enable him to continue his work for the constituency, he said: "It is for the people to judgeÉI have been working very hard."

Donald meanwhile revealed his intention to develop and promote Moyog as a tourism destination.

"I am sure we can come up with something creative to achieve this. We need to do this because we see that now travellers are more and more turning to using Jalan Kimanis-Keningau rather than passing Moyog when going to and from KK and the Interior," he said.

One great achievement of Upko in Moyog is in solving the Maang issue, Donald said, adding he is sure the Maang people were happy because "we took the stand with them over something that was not done with due process. Because of that (involvement in the issue) we were also in trouble."

"I don't want to say what they have done, but we got into trouble with the other BN components. But when you feel that something is wrong, something is correct, you have to make a standÉand because of that stand, the Sri Tanjung squatters were relocated to Kinarut instead of to Maang," he said.

Two objections were received from a woman by the Returning Officer, William Sampil, during the one-hour objection period against the witness of one of the Independent candidates but both were dismissed.