KOTA KINABALU – There will be no stopping the Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) from contesting for all 73 state seats in Sabah now that Warisan has distanced itself from the national opposition alliance.
Sabah PKR Youth information chief Razeef Rakimin said this, adding that efforts are underway towards this end.
“We are already looking into it. With Warisan out of the picture and there is no longer PH Plus in Sabah, this means, PKR and its other allies including Amanah and DAP are free to negotiate the seats, without interference or control from Warisan,” Razeef told The Vibes.
Despite such plans, Razeef pointed out that several leaders with Sabah PH remain keen to continue its current alliance with Warisan namely Warisan Plus.
While Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has officially declared that his party will be distancing itself from the former ruling alliance, state PH and PKR chairman Datuk Christina Liew is believed to be sidestepping the issue.
Razeef opined that state PKR leaders should learn to take “a hint” and stop hanging on to the Warisan Plus alliance which he felt is certainly over.
“For instance, the prime minister candidate of choice should be PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but Shafie has also expressed interest in becoming the prime minister.
“Warisan also took full control over its seat distribution as observed during the Sabah election, last year and dominated all decisions with its PH allies, despite being only a PH-friendly party,” he said.
Razeef claimed during the recently held PKR divisional annual general meeting, 17 from the 26 PKR divisions in Sabah and Labuan called for the party to sever ties with Warisan as well as former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Additionally, Sabah PKR Youth chief Raymond Ahuar had also reportedly urged Liew to be more forthcoming over PH’s stand towards the Sabah-based party.
Razeef also believed the Warisan Plus alliance has ceased to exist as the Sabah-based party may be seeking a new alliance.
Warisan is reportedly initiating political cooperation with the yet-to-registered Muda and Pejuang as well as PBS.
Despite state PKR grassroots opting to sever ties, Sabah DAP remains mixed regarding the status of Warisan Plus.
When asked on the subject, Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin said only Liew would be able to answer the question.
He added that Sabah PH remains supportive of Anwar as its prime minister candidate, which is not in sync with Warisan’s choice for Shafie.
Upko, which is another Warisan ally, recently had its leader, Tuaran MP Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau, indicate that the party’s direction will be revealed at the right time.
It is learnt however, that Upko may no longer be aligned to Warisan, as the latter plans to expand itself as a national party by opening a chapter in the peninsula.
The move could possibly leave Upko on its own to decide its next course of action, which political sources indicate would be an alignment with PH for the time being – The Vibes, July 11, 2021
