Sabah’s Harapan Rakyat dissolved, 64,000 members to join PPBM

Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah president Lajim Ukin (4th from left) displaying a PPBM flag after announcing the dissolution of his party today.

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah president Lajim Ukin announced the dissolution of the party today to allow its 64,000 members to join PPBM.

At a press conference here today, Lajim said 36,744 application forms would be handed over at the launch of Sabah PPBM tomorrow.

“We wanted to register all our members but the time is too short to register them all.

“However, I am confident we will get them all registered as PPBM members soon.”

Harapan Rakyat was registered on Oct 25, 2016. The party, then a component of Gabungan Sabah, contested in 16 parliamentary and 25 state constituencies in last year’s general election but lost all the seats.

Lajim also failed to defend his Klias seat, losing to Barisan Nasional-Umno candidate Isnin Aliasnih.

Isnin is among 30 Sabah Umno leaders who left the party late last year and is set to join PPBM.

Questioned about his relationship with other former Sabah Umno leaders, Lajim said though they had clashed in the past, this was normal in politics.

Besides, he said, PPBM’s entry into Sabah is meant to unite Bumiputera leaders and it is the best party to make peace with.

Addressing concerns by certain quarters that PPBM is set to take over the reins from Warisan, Lajim said such an issue would not arise as PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad had given his assurance that PPBM is here to strengthen the state government.

“We have no intention to take over or to demand the government to accommodate us. We will always support the government and its policies that we think are good for the people.

“However, we will also voice out our disapproval if we think the policies are not beneficial to the people so that they can improve and correct the mistakes,” he said.

The former deputy chief minister has been touted as a favourite to fill the Sabah PPBM chief post though former Sabah Umno chief Hajiji Noor has also been speculated to take the post.

Lajim is calm about the situation saying that he has no problem working with any former Sabah Umno leaders as he too was once an Umno member and knows many of its leaders.

“We will support whoever is picked by PPBM as the Sabah chief because that decision lies with the party.

“Whoever is picked, we will support and work together with him. We joined this party not for posts and material gains but for change,” he said. - FMT