KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan Youth comprising Upko, DAP and Amanah said it fully supports the election outcome of Datuk Ewon Benedick as the new Chairman of Sabah PH.
Hence, it called on the component parties of Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) to respect the democratic process and prioritise the challenges of the State Election (PRN), which can be called at any time.
AdvertisementEwon defeated incumbent Datuk Christina Liew by a mere three votes but it later emerged that the quota for the Sabah PH Chairman’s post should go to Sabah PKR and not Upko.
In a joint statement, Saturday, Sabah PH Youth Chief Felix Joseph Saang, Sabah DAP Youth Chief Vivian Wong and Sabah Amanah Youth Chief Salleh Jatil stressed that the selection of Ewon was in accordance with the PH constitution.
SPONSORED CONTENT Shell Sabah Deepwater Production Manager Earns Unsung Hero Award Daily Express had the opportunity to interview Musti whose story reflects the power of determination and resilience. Read more It stated that the selection of the PH Chairman was conducted through a democratic process with the presence and agreement of all component parties.
The PH constitution should be understood and accepted with an open heart so that other more pressing issues in Sabah can be effectively addressed.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Therefore, it is better for the component parties to strengthen their respective machinery to face the challenges of the State Election (PRN), which can occur at any time within the next 10 months.
“We must respect the component parties to ensure harmony is not disrupted, as the strength of Sabah PH stems from the political cooperation established previously.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});“Sabah PH Youth believes the component parties are mature enough to make decisions, and the strong collaboration that has been built will continue to ensure that Sabah PH remains relevant in the eyes of the people,” the statement said.
PH Leadership Council Secretary Datuk Nelson W Angang said there is no issue in the election of Ewon.
He said component chairmen and leaders had democratically participated in the general meeting (1 Dec).
“I am confident that every component member understands and respects the election process. This is not the first time that Sabah PH has held a general meeting to elect a chairman.
“This is the uniqueness of Sabah PH, we have been given autonomy to decide on the leadership. That is why I am confident that there is no interference from any central PH leader on the decision.
“The position in any state for PH in Malaysia is not reserved for any particular component party.
“The PH constitution provides the chairman for each state to be elected every time the general meeting is held,” he said in a statement.
Nelson said the Sabah PH leadership council would discuss and decide whether to retain or elect a new chairman from among other components at the next meeting.
“Every PH member and leader understands this matter and respects the PH Constitution.
“I am certain the cooperation, understanding and maturity in every discussion and decisions made amongst Sabah PH leaders over the years will continue to ensure that Sabah PH remains united and strong,” he said.
Upko Information Chief Dr Peter Jr Naintin said the decision was made through a fair and democratic process involving all four coalition parties— Upko, DAP, Amanah and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).
He said it was attended by 24 representatives, six from each party, who unanimously agreed on the voting process.
“The vote, monitored by the PH secretariat from Putrajaya, resulted in Ewon securing the chairman position.
He highlighted Sabah PH’s autonomy, pointing out that the coalition is independently registered under the Registrar of Societies (ROS).
“We are an autonomous entity with the authority to make independent decisions. The voting process was fair, transparent and in line with our constitution,” he said, adding that all parties had initially agreed on the voting method.
Peter said it was contradictory for dissenting voices to now challenge the decision after participating in the process.
“Some may have retracted their support, but during the meeting, everyone, including those now opposing agreed to the process and even voted. This undermines their objections,” he added.
Liew had said the matter is being discussed with PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the party’s political bureau.
Peter urged coalition members to respect the democratic process and focus on unity as the Sabah state election approaches.
“Official statements from Sabah PH must be made collectively, reflecting input from all coalition parties. It’s time to move forward and work together as a united front.”
Upko Malaysia Youth Chief, Seherel Linus, said the younger generation fully support the election of Ewon.
“Let us not set a bad example for the younger generation by defying decisions that have already been finalised.
“There should be no issue about the chairman of PH after it has gone through a democratic process,” he said.
Referring to reports that discussions were still ongoing with the PKR President, Seherel questioned whether this was an attempt to “hijack the leadership”.
“This will certainly create a negative perception among the younger generation, who are increasingly capable of assessing the actions of politicians.
“And it will inevitably affect support during the next election. Let there be no hidden hands attempting to override the decisions made during the general meeting,” he said.