SABAH PKR has rejected suggestions to stay out of the upcoming state elections amid calls for national parties to step aside and allow Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) to contest all seats independently.
Sabah PKR information chief Razeef Rakimin said these proposals did not reflect GRS’s official stance and, therefore, did not warrant a response.
“As far as we are concerned, this is not GRS’s official position. We believe GRS will make a wise and appropriate decision for themselves,” Razeef said today in Kota Kinabalu in response to GRS deputy chairman Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s suggestion that GRS should contest the upcoming state election independently, calling it “inappropriate”.
“While we may be part of a national party, Sabah PKR was established alongside the national party in April 1999. We are all Sabahans, and our focus is on Sabah’s interests,” Razeef said.
On Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan’s proposal for parties allied with GRS to contest under a unified GRS logo, Razeef said Sabah PKR had yet to consider the option.
“Any decision regarding our participation in the elections will be made and announced after the state assembly is dissolved. It will also depend on our partners and who presents the best offer,” he added.
Razeef said Sabah PKR currently enjoyed good relations with both GRS and Barisan Nasional (BN).
“We work well together at both the state and national levels within the unity government alongside BN. We have no issues with BN leaders, though I am unsure if they feel the same,” he said.
GRS and Pakatan Harapan (PH) have formed the state government since January 2023, after BN’s Umno leaders withdrew their support for Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
The 17th Sabah elections are expected by the end of next year.
In a separate update, Razeef informed reporters that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would chair the next Malaysia Agreement 1963 meeting in Sabah on September 12, ahead of Malaysia Day on September 16.
The prime minister is also scheduled to return in October for a road trip along Sabah’s east coast. – August 30, 2024.
