Kota Kinabalu: Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) is fully prepared to face the coming 17th State Election (PRN17), which could be called at any time, says its Acting President Priscella Peter.
Confident in her party’s chances, Priscella said KDM, despite being perceived by some as a small party, will go into the election solo and aims to become either a dominant force or a kingmaker in the next State Government.
“Many issues have surfaced in Sabah, and public sentiment is clearly shifting in favour of local parties,” she said.
“I don’t need to go into detail — everyone is aware of the hot issues right now. The people are angry, already frustrated by development shortcomings, and now more issues are piling on. It’s like adding fuel to the fire.”Priscella said this frustration is evident in everyday conversations and across social media platforms, reflecting growing demand for political change led by local parties.
“KDM is a local party, and we are ready to contest PRN17 alone. Yes, we may be seen as small, but we are prepared,” she added.
KDM plans to contest at least 38 state seats, with several other constituencies still under consideration.
She expressed confidence that KDM will play a major role post-PRN17 — whether forming the government or influencing who does.
“It’s time for Sabah to be governed by an inclusive, competitive, and organised administration that prioritises the people,” she said.
“Sabahans are bold when it comes to embracing change — history has shown this. I believe their voices for reform will resonate strongly in PRN17.”Meanwhile, Priscella confirmed that she would contest the Melalap state seat, held by her father, Datuk Peter Anthony, since 2018.
She said her decision was driven by a desire to continue her father’s legacy of serving and helping the people of Melalap.
“It’s not an easy task, but daddy’s spirit is always with me, and with the people of Melalap.
“The people here still talk about his kindness whenever I meet them. His aura is strong, and this proves that daddy carried out his responsibilities well in Melalap.
“I will continue the struggle to help the people. There is still much development to be done. I am contesting not just because of daddy, but for the people of Melalap who still hope for continuous progress,” she said.
In the 14th General Election (GE14) in 2018, Peter won the Melalap seat on a Warisan ticket with a slim majority of 293 votes in a six-way contest.
In the 16th State Election, he again contested under Warisan and retained the seat with a larger majority of 1,719 votes.
Peter later left Warisan in early 2022 to form KDM.