KOTA KINABALU – The Youth wing of Sabah opposition party United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) has expressed hope for opposition parties to work together.
In response to Pakatan Harapan’s proposal for the opposition to form a single coalition, Upko Malaysia Youth chief Felix Joseph Saang said the invitation warrants consideration for all opposition parties.
This will allow opposition parties to work on a common agenda, like providing a real and solid alternative for voters in the 15th general election (GE15), he said.
“We will always stand firmly behind the party. This can be seen in our decision to stand by the top leadership’s decision to leave Barisan Nasional (BN) and become a PH-friendly party on May 10, 2018.
“This was a principled decision, which still remains until today,” he said in a statement today.
The Vibes has reached out to party president Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau but has yet to receive a response.
Upko is part of the loose political cooperation between opposition parties in Sabah led by Warisan.
Both parties are allies to PH in Sabah during the 14th general election and the 16th Sabah election that was held last year.
More recently, Warisan has distanced itself from PH but remains an ally with the party.
Speaking of the recent political turmoil, Saang said it is natural for the parties to have a bit of competition, especially when it comes to selecting a prime minister.
Upko, whose sole MP is Tangau, threw its support behind PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during the crisis.
He noted that the internal rivalry for the prime minister post may have hurt all the opposition parties.
“However, that is in the past. Let this be a lesson to us all to not repeat the same mistakes, especially in GE15,” he said.
Saang did not mention any names, but appeared to be referring to Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who had offered himself to be the alternative choice for prime minister for the opposition fold.
“The opposition must first settle their differences among themselves before they can come up with common policies and effective plans in taking the country forward, such as the handling of the pandemic and the recovery of the economy.
“The opposition do not have much time left as the election could be coming any time soon. We must be prepared and our grassroots must start acting now. It is high time for the opposition parties to unite. We must act as one voice,” he said. – The Vibes, August 26, 2021.
