Wetrom Bahanda

Summary

Datuk Wetrom bin Bahanda is the KDM Member of Parliament for Kota Marudu, Sabah, having won the seat in GE15 (November 2022) by defeating long-serving incumbent Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili with a majority of 8,174 votes. He is the Deputy President of the Sabah-based Social Democratic Harmony Party (KDM) and was named the party's chief minister candidate for the 2025 Sabah state election, though he narrowly lost the Matunggong state seat in November 2025. A former UMNO and BERSATU member, Wetrom's political trajectory reflects the fragmented and fluid nature of Sabah's party politics.

Biography

Datuk Wetrom bin Bahanda (born 25 May 1970) is a Malaysian politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kota Marudu (P168), Sabah, since November 2022 [1]. He is the 1st Deputy President of the Social Democratic Harmony Party (KDM) for the Muslim bumiputera quota, a position he has held since October 2022 [1]. Wetrom also concurrently held the Bandau state seat in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, having won it in the September 2020 state election under the Perikatan Nasional/BERSATU banner with a majority of 3,363 votes [2]. He served as State Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister of Sabah under Chief Minister Hajiji Noor from October 2020, resigning in October 2022 when he left BERSATU to join KDM [1]. Prior to BERSATU, Wetrom was a member of UMNO and served as Kota Marudu UMNO chief [3]. In the 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022, he won the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat under KDM with 24,318 votes and a majority of 8,174, defeating four-term incumbent Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili of PBS/GRS [4]. Kota Marudu is a federal constituency in Sabah's Kudat Division with a population of approximately 99,998 as of 2020 [1]. KDM supported the federal unity government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim while remaining in opposition to the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) state government [5]. In September 2025, KDM unanimously named Wetrom as its chief minister candidate for the 17th Sabah State Election [5]. He contested the Matunggong state seat in the November 2025 Sabah election but lost narrowly to GRS's Datuk Julita Majungki by 334 votes [3]. He is the elder brother of Kudat MP Datuk Verdon Bahanda [1].

Known for

Wetrom Bahanda is best known for defeating four-term incumbent PBS president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili in Kota Marudu at GE15 in 2022, a seat Ongkili had held since 2004 [6]. He is a prominent figure within the Sabah-based KDM party, serving as its Deputy President and its nominated chief minister candidate for the 2025 Sabah state election [5]. His political career has been marked by a series of party transitions — from UMNO to BERSATU and then to KDM — reflecting the broader volatility of Sabah's political landscape [1].

Political positions

Wetrom Bahanda has positioned KDM as a party contesting independently, without allying with major federal or state coalitions in the 2025 Sabah state election [3]. At the federal level, KDM supported the Pakatan Harapan-led unity government [5], while at the state level the party remained in opposition to the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) [5]. Wetrom has emphasised grassroots-driven representation, citing calls from supporters as the basis for his decisions on constituency selection [4]. His public statements have stressed the need for change in northern Sabah constituencies, linking his Kota Marudu parliamentary work to his state-level ambitions [4]. No detailed policy positions on specific national issues (e.g., cost of living, education, healthcare) were identifiable from available allowlist sources beyond his constituency-level advocacy.

Political career

1. Pre-2018Served as Kota Marudu UMNO division chief; was a member of UMNO before transitioning to BERSATU.⛓
2. 26 September 2020Won the newly created Bandau state seat in the 16th Sabah State Election under the Perikatan Nasional/BERSATU banner with 5,863 votes and a majority of 3,363.⛓
3. October 2020Appointed State Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister of Sabah in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) administration under Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.⛓
4. 21 October 2022Resigned as State Assistant Minister, left BERSATU, and joined KDM on the same day. Named as KDM's candidate for the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat in GE15.⛓
5. October 2022Appointed 1st Deputy President of KDM for the Muslim bumiputera quota.⛓
6. 20 November 2022Won the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat (P168) in GE15 under KDM with 24,318 votes and a majority of 8,174, defeating four-term incumbent Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili (PBS/GRS).⛓
7. 1 September 2025Unanimously named by KDM's supreme council as the party's chief minister candidate for the 17th Sabah State Election.⛓
8. 4 October 2025Announced he would contest the Matunggong state seat in the 17th Sabah State Election, forgoing defence of his Bandau seat, citing grassroots requests from his hometown constituency.⛓
9. 29 November 2025Lost the Matunggong state seat in the 17th Sabah State Election to GRS's Datuk Julita Majungki by a majority of 334 votes (Wetrom: 8,762 votes; Majungki: 9,096 votes).⛓

Election history

• 2025Matunggong (Sabah State)Lost⛓
• 2022Kota Marudu (P168)Won30.1%⛓
• 2020Bandau (Sabah State)Won40.1%⛓

Perspectives on key issues

• VerifiedFactsThe Election Commission confirmed Wetrom Bahanda won the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat (P168) in GE15 with a majority of 8,174 votes, defeating four-term incumbent Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili of PBS/GRS, with the result announced on 20 November 2022.⛓
• GovernmentKDM aligned with the federal unity government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim post-GE15, with KDM president Peter Anthony presenting party support to Anwar in Putrajaya in November 2022; at the Sabah state level, KDM remained in opposition to GRS.⛓
• OppositionWetrom Bahanda contested the 2025 Sabah state election against GRS, which governs Sabah; GRS's candidate Datuk Julita Majungki retained the Matunggong seat against him by a narrow majority of 334 votes.⛓
• PublicSinar Daily reported pre-GE15 that Wetrom cited strong grassroots support, claiming approximately 70 percent backing from Kota Marudu constituents, attributing his eventual win to voters seeking change after multiple terms under the same MP.⛓