SABAH Pakatan Harapan (PH) has been directed to operate within the unity government framework as Barisan Nasional (BN) reaffirms its commitment to cooperate with them for the upcoming Sabah election.
Sabah PH chairman Datuk Christina Liew said this was the advice given by PH chairman, PKR president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regarding potential collaboration between the two coalitions.
“The prime minister, who is also the Pakatan president, has instructed me to work closely within the unity government framework,” Liew told reporters in Kota Kinabalu.
She was met during the Malaysia Day preparations press conference.
Her remarks come after BN proposed BN-PH cooperation for next year’s Sabah election, aimed at maintaining the unity government model in the state.
Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, during a visit to Shanghai, China, emphasised that the BN-PH partnership is the best approach to preserving the unity government.
The federal unity government currently consists of BN, PH, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), and the Sabah-based Warisan party, though Warisan is an opposition party in the state.
When asked if Warisan should be included in the electoral cooperation for the state polls, Liew deferred the decision to GRS chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Regarding whether BN had formally approached PH about an election alliance, Liew stated, “It’s a secret.”
Both GRS and Sabah PH are keeping their options open regarding possible alliances with each other and other parties as they prepare for the upcoming election, which is scheduled for September next year.
“We are working hard within the unity government and hope to deliver results that satisfy the people,” Liew added as she said the current political dynamics make it challenging for parties to finalise any electoral pacts. – September 13, 2024
