Kota kinabalu: Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) sole winning candidate in the 17th Sabah State Election, Datuk Jamawi Ja’afar, has described the success as the result of hard work and dedication by the entire election machinery. Jamawi, who secured a majority of 525 votes in his second attempt for the Melalap seat, said the path to victory was not easy as he faced seven other candidates including Parti KDM president Priscella Peter. Priscella is the daughter of the seat’s incumbent, Peter Anthony.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Jamawi acknowledged the challenges he faced against strong contenders, considering himself an underdog from the beginning. Despite this, he relentlessly engaged with Melalap voters, ultimately leading to his electoral success. He expressed gratitude, saying, “Syukur Alhamdulillah,” and emphasized the importance of continuous collaboration with colleagues to ensure PH’s efforts resonate with the people of Sabah.

Jamawi also expressed his appreciation to Melalap voters for placing their trust in him, describing the victory as a great responsibility to shoulder. The former agriculture officer said he would strive to bring change through his vision and mission for Melalap and begin work immediately.

Melalap comes under the Tenom parliamentary constituency, about 130 kilometres from Kota Kinabalu, and has 21,320 registered voters. Apart from Priscella, Jamawi defeated Gabriel George Tulas (Independent), Alviana Linus (STAR), Cheld Bryend Lind (Warisan), Junik Bajit (UPKO), Kevin Chong (PIS), and Fatimah Ibrahim (Independent).