Anifah set to lead merger of four parties?

KOTA KINABALU: Former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman is set to lead a new political front with the merging of at least four local-based parties.

The front’s spokesman Datuk James Lingunjang said the leaders of the four parties were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding soon.

“Anifah is poised to lead the group of merged parties in Sabah with the signing of the MOU in the coming days, ” he said in a statement on Friday (March 6).

The four parties are Parti Cinta Sabah headed by Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, Parti Anak Negeri Sabah led Datuk Henrynus Amin, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Bersatu Sabah led Datuk Francis Goh and yet-to-be-registered Parti Hak Sabah (Sabah Rights Party), which is widely seen as Anifah’s initial political vehicle.

Ligunjang said that the supreme councils of the respective parties involved were expected to meet over the weekend.

Talks between Sabah-based opposition parties merging have been going around since the fall of the Sabah Barisan Nasional government led by Tan Sri Musa Aman following the May 2018 general election.

However, major local opposition parties Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) led by Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, Sabah STAR led by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) led by former chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee were against a merger.

They preferred a united front that would have been called Gabungan Sabah.

Jeffrey, who is Keningau MP and Tambunan assemblyman, has recently pledged support for Perikatan Nasional grouping, while Maximus, who is Kota Marudu MP, said that they would be friendly to Perikatan, but would not join them.

Sabah STAR and SAPP were initially in talks on forming Gabungan Sabah as a single opposition block to take on the Parti Warisan Sabah-led coalition government, which has now become an opposition at the national level with the fall Pakatan Harapan.

Anifah, who lost his Kimanis parliament after an Election Court nullified the results of the May elections, stayed out of the Jan 18 by-election won by Barisan Nassional, saying he wanted to concentrate on the state rights. - Star