This came after it was reported that three Gabungan Rakyat Sabah parties — Umno, Bersatu and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) — were vying for the seat.

Tuaran Warisan divisional chief Rakam Sijim said the division was working hard to win over voters in the area.

“This is by way of grassroots’ communication and engagement,” he said in a statement here today.

“Warisan’s greatest advantage in Tuaran and other parliamentary seats in Sabah is its proven credibility because it has never wavered from its original intention to be a local party free from Putrajaya.”

Tuaran is currently held by fellow opposition party Upko, which has since joined Pakatan Harapan, alongside PKR, DAP and Amanah.

Upko left the Barisan Nasional coalition to form the Sabah government with Warisan and PH immediately after the last general election.

In 2018, Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau contested under the BN banner and won the seat after garnering 22,494 votes, with his opponent, Chrisnadia Sinam, of PKR, receiving 14,870 votes.

Rakam said Tuaran Warisan would place a “strong and passionate” candidate there to speak on Sabah’s problems in Parliament.

Yesterday, Tuaran Bersatu deputy divisional chief Abdul Kassim Razali said his party had an advantage in the semi-rural constituency because chief minister Hajiji Noor comes from the area.

Hajiji is the state representative for Sulaman, one of four state constituencies in Tuaran. The other state seats are Pantai Dalit, held by BN, and Tamparuli and Kiulu, both held by PBS.

Before that, Tuaran Umno chief and former federal minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan was quoted as saying it was time for Umno to claim the seat.

At the same time, PBS claims it has grassroots support in Tuaran, with two senior leaders, deputy president Jahid Jahim and secretary-general Joniston Bangkuai being the assemblymen for Tamparuli and Kiulu respectively.