Little-known Sabah party hopes to make a mark in crowded field

Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah leaders, led by president Ationg Tituh (seated, second from left), at a meeting in August last year.

KOTA KINABALU: Another “third force” party hoping to create more than a splash in the upcoming state election is little-known Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS), which claims to be “the genuine fighter of Sabah rights”.

Led by Ationg Tituh, who contested in the 1990 election under the now-defunct Akar party, PGRS underlined its dauntless spirit by claiming that it plans to contest all 73 seats on Sept 26.

Speaking to FMT, Ationg said the party’s supreme council decided on this bold attempt at its recent meeting.

He said he will contest in the interior Kuamut seat, within the Kinabatangan parliamentary constituency, where he stood and lost under the Akar banner 30 years ago.

Among other candidates, he said, former Sabah MCA liaison chairman Francis Goh will likely contest under PGRS as will other professionals.

“We stand a good chance to win the election because we are the only local party fighting for the rights of the state. Many of the others are in cahoots with parties from Malaya. They are either working with Barisan Nasional or Perikatan Nasional.

“So, I see that Sabahans are beginning to wake up (to the fact) that we need a real local party to fight for Sabah rights. That’s our hope (in order to win the election).”

Besides PGRS, Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are touted as the “third force” parties as opposed to the Warisan Plus and BN-PN Plus coalitions.

PCS, led by former foreign minister Anifah Aman, and LDP, by former chief minister Chong Kah Kiat, have refuted claims that they would be working with peninsula-based coalitions, preferring instead to contest as independent entities. Both are multiracial parties.

Ationg, who was the Sabah People’s Progressive Party liaison chairman in 2006, said both PCS and LDP could profess whatever they want as far as struggling for Sabah rights is concerned, but contended that only PGRS has the genuine interest of Sabahans at heart.

“In politics, you can claim all that you want. All these parties have their own grassroots support all over the state.

“The parties, including PGRS, can label themselves as the third or whatever force but for me, what’s important is that our party’s aspirations can be achieved by winning the 16th state election,” he said.

Ationg said while PGRS will be going at it alone in the polls, it will consider its options to link up with any party or coalition once the results are out.

“It will depend on the results. If we need to form the government, we will combine (seats won) with other parties who share the same mindset with us,” he said.

PGRS was formed in 2009 but was only officially approved by the Registrar of Societies three years later. - FMT