When family feud comes into play

There is an element of family feud with Nixon Abdul Habi hoping for a Bajau tsunami to oust Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as Semporna Umno division chief.

NIXON Abdul Habi is hoping for a Bajau tsunami. He knows he needs one if he is to oust Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal as the Semporna Umno division chief.

Shafie is a formidable opponent. He is the Semporna MP, an Umno vice-president and Rural and Regional Development Minister.

“I am an underdog,” said the 44year-old Bajau politician born three months after Richard Nixon was inaugurated US president on January 20, 1969.

Semporna, in the east coast of Sabah, is the heartland of the Sea Bajaus.

“We (the people of Semporna) are one big family. One way or another – althoughwemight come from different sub-ethnic Bajau groups – we are related to each other by birth or by marriage,” said Nixon, who was Shafie’s Umno Youth chief from 2004 to 2008.

For example, Nixon lost his Semporna Umno Youth chief post in 2008 to his cousin Mohd Aziz Jamman, who is also Shafie’s nephew.

“My mother and Mohd’s mother are sisters and Mohd’s father is Shafie’s first cousin,” he said.

“I was told that you lost in a rather controversial polls ... that there was a blackout?” I asked Nixon.

“I don’t want to go back to that history. It was a bad experience but also a good experience. I lost in a controversial and tragic manner,” he said.

I googled “Nixon Abdul Habi” and found a news article in The Star dated January 20, 2009.

He lost to his cousin by 17 votes in a poll where “a commotion almost broke out when the lights at the Semporna community hall, the venue of the election, went out at about 10.40pm after the recount was completed”.

The report continued: “On Oct 12 last year, poll results in Nixon’s favour had to be referred to the Sabah Umno liaison after protests that the ballots issued exceeded the number of delegates”.

“How come you as Shafie’s Youth chief lost?” I asked.

“He (Shafie) must have had his plan for the future and I was not part of it. I was ousted,” Nixon said.

“How come you were not part of Shafie’s plan?” I asked.

“Back in 2004, in the election for the Semporna Umno Youth chief post, I defeated Razak Sakaran, who is Shafie’s first cousin,” he said.

Razak’s father is Tun Sakaran Dandai (Umno’s first Sabah chief minister) and Shafie’s mother is Sakaran’s sister.

Shafie is defending his Semporna Umno division chief post against Nixon and Datuk HermanMohamad, a former assemblymanfor Sulabayan (a state seat in the Semporna parliamentary constituency) and Nixon’s uncle.

Nixon said he was challenging the incumbent because of Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s call for transformation in the party.

“I’m also answering the call of (former Umno president Tun) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) for young leaders to participate in the leadership of the party from all levels,” he said.

Nixon also believed that it was less productive for power to be concentrated in the hands of one person.

“He is a vice-president, he is a senior minister and he is a fifth term MP for Semporna. Isn’t it better for him to concentrate in helping the Umno president to strengthen the party at the national level and prepare the party for the next election?” he asked.

“Let me do the clerical job (if elected as Semporna Umno division head) and tackle local issues in Semporna such as the lack of basic infrastructure and the flooding of PTI ( Pendatang Tanpa Izin or illegal immigrant).”

I found Nixon’s explanation too coated in political speak. From the little I know of Semporna politics, it looked as if there was an element of family feud in his decision to take on the warlord who is known for his generosity.

Last year, Nixon’s father, mother, father-in-law and uncle were either suspended or sacked from Umno. In GE13, his younger brother Dr Zamree was the PKR candidate against Shafie.

“I am loyal to the party. It was an awkward situation for me. It (the fight for the Semporna MP seat) was between David and Goliath and the result was expected,” he said.

Shafie received 25,559 votes, Zamree 4,654 and independent Badaruddin Mustapha 325.

No, said Nixon when asked if he was contesting because of a family feud.

“I’m representing the young and those who want transformation.”

If Nixon wins the division chief’s post, hewantsto be a bridgebetween Semporna Umno and Sabah Umno.

“Shafie is not on good terms with the state Umno leadership (Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Musa Aman), who is Sabah Chief Minister,” he said.

“There is no formal endorsement from Sabah Umno for him to go for the vice-president’s post.”

“Is it all about money to win in a division such as Semporna?” I asked.

“Moneypolitics is forbidden in the party,” Nixon said. “The president has warned against money politics.”

“Is it possible for you to topple a warlord?” I asked.

“The onus is on the Semporna Umno members. If they want transformation, then they should vote for me,” he said. “For me to win there must be a Bajau tsunami.” > The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.