No applications yet from Sabah Muslim NGO and friends, says PPBM

Perkida Sabah members who came to the NGO’s office to collect their PPBM membership cards or fill up membership application forms.

KOTA KINABALU: PPBM has yet to receive the 19,000 membership applications said to be from members of an NGO in Sabah and their friends.

A senior PPBM leader told FMT the party is also undecided on whether to enter Sabah, despite growing support from the grassroots in the state.

Yesterday, Perkida Sabah president Datu Muhammad Akjan Datu Ali Muhammad claimed the NGO had managed to get 19,000 people, including 12,000 of its members, to register as members of PPBM.

He said all 150,000 members of Perkida Sabah were expected to sign up with PPBM in the next six months.

The NGO is one of at least three groups attempting to bring the national-based party into Sabah.

But not everyone wants PPBM in the state, with the ruling Warisan party – an ally of Pakatan Harapan (PH) – saying it had agreed with PH that Sabah would be handled by Warisan.

However, Akjan said he and his group had decided to join PPBM instead of Warisan because they were attracted to the ideology and aims of the party, which were based on the five pillars of the Rukun Negara promoting a just and harmonious society.

Datu Sharif Muhammad Akjan

“We believe that PPBM, spearheaded by our prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, will be in a better position to unite and strengthen the position of the Muslim natives in Sabah,” he said.

“The party will be better at safeguarding our interests and championing our plight and causes.

“It will also promote greater rapport and co-existence with fellow Malaysians of other races and religions, and help build a harmonious and progressive nation.”

Commenting on the criticism by some groups of PPBM’s possible expansion into Sabah, Akjan said it was their right to express their views, just as it was the right of citizens to choose the party they felt best suited their ideals and aspirations.

He said these individuals and parties or groups should not feel insecure or threatened by PPBM.

Akjan also urged detractors not to blame the PPBM leadership for accepting their membership applications.

He said they were prepared to sit down with them to explore the possibility of future cooperation for the common good of the state and its people.

He added that despite talk about multiracial political parties, there was still a need for a strong Muslim-based party to take root in Sabah.

According to him, this was because there are certain things a multiracial party cannot do as they go against party principles.

He gave the example of the Oktoberfest, which was organised in Sabah last year, saying none of the Muslim leaders in the government could criticise the event because their hands were tied, since they belonged to multiracial parties. - FMT