We didn’t set conditions for working with Warisan, says Loke

 

DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook said the party was merely stating its stand.

PETALING JAYA: DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook tonight denied setting any conditions to work with Warisan in the coming 15th general election, contrary to claims by the latter’s president.

Loke said it merely stated its “stand” about defending the three seats DAP won in the last general election.

In the last nationwide polls, DAP won three parliamentary seats, namely Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, and Tenom.

“We were not asking for much. We don’t have many seats (in Sabah).

“Instead I was accused of being arrogant. This seems to me like an excuse not to negotiate seats,” he said on Facebook in a segment called #AnthonyJawabJujur.

Yesterday, Warisan president Shafie Apdal said DAP should not set conditions when seeking talks with Warisan over possible cooperation during GE15.

He said this in response to Loke’s statement that the party was willing to work with other Sabah parties as long as they retained the right to contest the three seats.

“This is one-way traffic … we cannot be too arrogant,” Shafie was quoted as saying.

Loke again said he was opened to working with Warisan and that it was up to the latter to take up the offer.

However, he said, comments made by the party gave the impression that they were not keen to hold any discussions or negotiations.

In March, Loke admitted that DAP’s ties with Warisan were “tense” due to the “confrontational approach” it took in the Johor polls by contesting in seats that DAP had won in the last general election.

Last Friday, Sabah DAP secretary Phoong Jin Zhe said any cooperation between Sabah Pakatan Harapan and Warisan was looking more unlikely with the latter seemingly distancing itself from the opposition coalition. - FMT