Former Warisan star Rampas says not contesting Sabah polls on Upko ticket
KOTA KINABALU: Former beauty queen Jo-Anna Sue Henley Rampas denied claims circulating on social media that she will be contesting in the upcoming state election (PRN17) on a Upko-Pakatan Harapan ticket for the Kiulu (N15) seat.
Responding to a viral Facebook post suggesting she had secured support from Upko members to run in Kiulu, Rampas dismissed the claim as completely untrue.
'This is not true. I still remain party-less to this day,' she told The Star.
The 36-year-old, once regarded as Warisan's 'poster girl,' also confirmed that no political party has approached her regarding candidacy.
"Nobody from Upko has contacted me, prior or even after this viral post … so I don't know where this is stemming from,' she said.
Rampas, who was crowned Unduk Ngadau in 2007 and previously contested the seat under Warisan, said her current focus is on academic and media pursuits.
'Right now, I am focusing on my podcast project Smart Talks Sabah and academic research with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas),' she said.
She dismissed the viral post as 'baseless and false,' speculating it could be the work of political cyber-troopers.
'Election fever is definitely kicking in... but I am happier interviewing politicians these days than being one,' she quipped.
The post, shared by Facebook user Bunga Togingo, quoted a so-called 'reliable source' claiming Rampas was being backed as the Upko-Pakatan candidate in Kiulu for PRN17.
It suggested she had a strong chance of winning, citing both the party's large membership in the constituency and her own loyal following.
'If this development materialises, incumbent YB Datuk Joniston Bangkuai could face a tough challenge in retaining his seat,' the post read, referring to the current Kiulu assemblyman from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS).
Rampas, currently on sabbatical from politics while pursuing her doctorate at Unimas, has also been seen attending PBS events, fuelling speculation she might be aligning with the party.
However, she clarified that her attendance was strictly professional, as she had been invited to speak based on her academic research, particularly on youth empowerment and political participation under the Undi18 initiative.
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