The now-former PHRS deputy president said she would continue to vie for the Kukusan seat in the Nov 29 state election, although she did not specify whether she would contest as an independent candidate or under another party.

Rina said she decided to leave PHRS for the sake of her honour and principles, claiming she was sabotaged by certain quarters in the party.

“I no longer have any ties with PHRS. It’s clear that there are certain quarters who are slyly trying to pull me down, especially ahead of nomination day.

“I will continue fighting in Kukusan because there are many more things that need to be done for the people. This isn’t a question of parties but responsibility and trust.

“Many Kukusan voters have already asked me to contest and represent their voice. As long as they want me here, I will not turn away,” she said in a Facebook post.

Rina was with Warisan before leaving the party in 2022 to join PHRS, which later became a component of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

In the 2020 polls, she narrowly defeated Barisan Nasional’s Chaya Sulaiman by just 10 votes to win the Kukusan seat on a Warisan ticket.

So far, six parties have announced candidates for the seat, with BN fielding Chaya again, while ruling coalition GRS is fielding Kukusan PHRS chief Samsiah Usman.

The other parties in contention are Perikatan Nasional, Warisan, Parti Impian Sabah and Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri.