KOTA KINABALU, Aug 21 (Sin Chew Daily) — An unexpected state election in Sabah sees many retired heavyweights back in politics!

Among those who make the comeback are two former chief ministers and a  former Dewan Rakyat speaker.

The 16th Sabah state election will be one with a number of heavyweights, and voters in the state will get to see all former and current political leaders vying for the seats.

The only common point among them is that they are all fighting against caretaker chief minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal who is leading Parti Warisan Sabah and Pakatan Harapan in Sabah and is supported by United Progressive Kinabalu Organization (Upko).

Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) president Datuk Chin Su Phin confirmed that former chief minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat, who is also former president of LDP, will lead the party in the state election.

Chong resigned as chief minister over the erection of Goddess of Sea, Mazu statue in 2007.

Besides Chong, two other political leaders in semi-retirement who will run in the state election are former chief minister cum former communications and multimedia minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak and former Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.

Both are keen to make a comeback in politics.

Salleh Said, a former Umno deputy president, applied to return to Umno after his bid to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat failed. Umno has not announced whether it has accepted his return.

Pandikar was formerly an Umno leader. He left the party after the 2018 general elections and became the leader of Parti Kebangsaan Bersatu Sabah (USNO).

Both have yet to announce their decision to contest in the state election, but are likely to contest in the Kota Belud area.

Retired political leaders and current political leaders are vying to contest in the state election to be the next Sabah chief minister.

Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who is also the MP for Kinabatangan, has indicated his intention to run in the state election.

Former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman is no longer the chairman of Sabah Umno and BN. The Sungai Sibuga state assemblyman is expected to convince the BN leadership to let him contest under the BN ticket so that he can be chief minister again.

Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, now the president of Parti Cinta Sabah, is leading the party to contest in the state election.