Sabah opposition crisis deepens as Wanita veep quits PKR

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 8 — Sabah’s opposition’s troubles have taken another twist with the sudden resignations yesterday of 14 Wanita PKR members, led by the vice-chairman of the wing’s state chapter, Winnie Juani, ahead of Election 2013.

The 52-year-old Juani told The Malaysian Insider that she and her colleagues had decided to quit the party as they felt that they needed to “take a rest”, denying rumours that the move was due to the ongoing seat trading between Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and its new Sabah allies from Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) and Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS).

Zuraida was surprised by the quit move of the Sabah PKR Wanita members.

Juani also acknowledged that their exit plan would likely spur allegations that she and her friends have been bought over by Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, but said she would refuse to entertain such claims.

“There is no reason for leaving,” she said when contacted here. “We just want to take a rest for the time being.”

Apart from Juani, the 13 others who quit are both elected and appointed committee members from the wing’s Penampang division.

Sources earlier speculated to The Malaysian Insider that Juani, who has helmed the post of Penampang Wanita PKR division chief since 2007, was upset that her party’s national leadership could not confirm her candidacy in Moyog.

Moyog is one of two state seats under the Penampang parliamentary constituency and has traditionally been known to be a BN stronghold.

Penampang is held by United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO) president Tan Sri Bernard Giluk Dompok, while his party’s information chief Datuk Donald Peter Majuntin is Moyog assemblyman and Sabah MCA chief Datuk Edward Khoo is Kapayan assemblyman.

According to sources, Juani has allegedly set her sights on contesting Moyog but the inclusion of APS and PPPS may have scuttled her chances.

APS is led by Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing, formerly the deputy president of BN’s UPKO, while PPPS is led by Beaufort MP and former Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin.

Both movements are currently working out a seat-sharing formula with PR’s three parties DAP, PKR and PAS, turning the Sabah opposition front into a very crowded fight.

PKR’s national Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that with the inclusion of PR’s new Sabah-based allies, any previous agreement on seat distribution in the state would have to be put temporarily on hold.

“Not everything is finalised yet,” she said.

But the Ampang MP expressed surprise at Juani’s sudden quit move, telling this news portal that she had just met with Juani two days ago to discuss the delicate seat situation in Sabah and potential female candidates.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Zuraida later contacted Juani and purportedly told the latter that she was still in the process of “fighting” for her candidature.

“But I did apologise. I said, let others stand if they want to be candidates,” Juani, a grandmother of seven, told this news portal.

She added that this would also quash rumours that she had only quit the party because she feared she would not be chosen for the coming polls contest.

“I am a very well-known potential candidate. But you know, it is not easy [to be a candidate]. You need to put in a lot of money and time.

“My struggle in the election is to ensure that PKR wins. But now, I think I’d just like to rest,” she said.

Juani also revealed that “opposition parties” have approached her to join them, but said her decision would depend on those who followed her out of PKR.

There are two other notable opposition parties in Sabah — the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) led by Datuk Yong Teck Lee and State Reform Party (STAR) led by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan.

Seat negotiations between PR and the two parties were earlier on the cards but have now reached a deadlock ahead of the general election which must be held by this June.