Sabah PKR puts focus on local sentiments in state election plans

 

Sabah PKR chief Mustapha Sakmud briefed a political bureau meeting today on the recent informal meeting with BN representatives. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

Sabah PKR has again played down talk of Pakatan Harapan working with Barisan Nasional at the Sabah state assembly elections next year, reiterating that no decision has been made yet on the electoral pact.

State PKR chief Mustapha Sakmud said the state party’s alliances for the elections must take local sentiments into consideration, despite PH and BN working together well as coalition partners in the federal government.

Mustapha said he had briefed the Sabah PKR political bureau on a recent unofficial meeting he had with BN representatives, which he added was set up by BN secretary-general Zambry Abdul Kadir.

“It was for each of us to express our views on how we believe we should face Sabah’s political environment ahead of the 17th state elections.

“For PKR, we want to face the state polls by taking local sentiments into account. Though at the federal level PH and BN are cooperating well, in the Sabah context, like it or not, local sentiments are important,” he said at a press conference following a Sabah PKR political bureau meeting.

Mustapha said Sabah PKR will take the matter to the Sabah PH leadership meeting before deciding on the state polls alliance.

Sabah PH chief Christina Liew, who did not attend the meeting with BN as she was overseas, said she called for the political bureau meeting to understand what transpired in the gathering with BN representatives.

“We understand the issue and also understand the feelings and mood of Sabahans,” said Liew, who is a member of chief minister Hajiji Noor’s state Cabinet.

Liew added that Sabah PKR’s ultimate goal was to serve the people more than politicking, but acknowledged that it might be time to “spend more time talking about politics” with the state polls looming.

Mustapha later reiterated that Sabah PKR was not closing the door to cooperation with any party, but said negotiations would only be held once internal talks within PKR and Sabah PH were completed.

Sabah BN and PH leaders had issued a joint statement following their informal meeting in Kota Kinabalu, saying they agreed to set up open communication channels to improve their partnership.

They also said both coalitions were open to forming ties with other parties ahead of the state polls.

However, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi later said BN and PH would form a core alliance for the Sabah elections which will be open to other coalitions and parties. He said this was the stand taken by Anwar Ibrahim, who is the unity coalition leader as prime minister.

In response, Mustapha maintained that Sabah PH would settle internal discussions before starting negotiations with others.

Hajiji has previously said GRS would establish a committee to discuss the next state election with both its partners and state government allies, particularly PH. - FMT