Kota Kinabalu: Sabah PKR is still negotiating seats among Pakatan Harapan components to avoid a deadlock with potential partners or perceptions that cracks are forming within their Sabah chapter.
Sabah PKR Chief Datuk Ts Mustapha Sakmud said the objective is maintaining the Madani government despite eyeing the same seats, Tempasuk, for example, with their touted continued partnership with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
Asked if they face challenge from Parti Warisan and Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat’s (KDM) announcements of contesting solo, he said “ruling out partners is not an option in Sabah’s political landscape today.
“Sabah PKR has its own approach. But whichever party thinks they are strong to go solo, by all means. We shall see the results.
“There are still a few seats that are up for grabs. I don’t want to announce how many seats Sabah PKR is aiming for now because it may seem to others that we are going solo.
“But we are practical. We want to work together with parties to ensure an easy win and continue to defend the Madani government. We don’t want internal frictions in Sabah to disrupt party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said. Present were Api-Api Assemblywoman and former Sabah PH Chairperson Datuk Seri Christina Liew.
Mustapha said the party is still gathering intelligence on winnable seats and are unperturbed by any party’s early incumbent claims.
“This also happens at Tanjung Keramat where the Sabah Umno Liaison Chief had announced its candidate. But I won’t name candidates before a concrete partnership to avoid closing the door to cooperation.
“Sabah is the first test in the state election series followed by Melaka, Sarawak, Johor and on to the 16th General Elections,” he said.
On party developments, he said 24 Sabah PKR branches have been dissolved following meetings except in Beaufort because of the recent flooding.
He said the main agenda which was unanimously agreed upon was that the party’s president and deputy post was not to be contested.
“However we are a democracy and whosoever wants to contest shall not be stopped. With the State Leadership Council now inoperative, the PKR Political Bureau has taken over.
“Candidates will be named on Friday (14 March) and the polling date has been set for 15 April which will be done online,” he said.
Sabah PKR Information Chief Razeed Rakimin would be among the two names from Sabah submitted for the 20 Central Leadership Committee posts.