KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah chapter of DAP views the move by MPs from Sabah Bersatu to quit the party while remaining under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition as a positive development, its secretary Phoong Jin Zhe said.
He explained that the move announced by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who was Sabah Bersatu chief before leading the exodus from the outfit, is understandable, as GRS is already officially part of the unity government led by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Hajiji is also the chairman of GRS, which presently governs the state.
“It is difficult for them (Sabah Bersatu) to continue staying in Bersatu when Bersatu is the opposition party at the federal level.
“As far as Sabah DAP is concerned, as long as this strengthens Anwar’s position and solidifies the unity government, I will view it in a positive way. It is in line with Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s call for unity,” he told The Vibes.
Phoong said he is not sure what would happen next, but he believes that Sabah’s political landscape has now stabilised.
Bersatu is a component of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, which also includes PAS.
After the most recent Sabah election, GRS, which previously comprised Bersatu, Parti Bersatu Sabah, Sabah STAR, Sabah Progressive Party and United Sabah National Organisation, joined hands with Barisan Nasional (BN) to govern the state.
However, Bersatu vice-president Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said he will not abandon the party and has stressed that they will rebuild Sabah Bersatu.
“As a Sabahan, I personally think that any move that would disassociate (an outfit) with PN-PAS, which represents right-wing politics with a religious agenda, would be a good thing for Sabah,” said Phoong.
“Sabah must be the last defence against the so-called ‘green tsunami’,” he said, referring to the perceived rise of PAS’ hardline political influence.
Phoong said this is in the context of preserving and safeguarding Sabah’s multiracialism and diversity.
Ultimately, he said, Sabah does not wish to see another round of political crisis.
PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also president of Bersatu, said yesterday that the anti-hopping law will determine the fate of the Sabah MPs who quit Bersatu.
He reasoned that the state chapter was formed under the purview of the party’s supreme council, and only the party’s highest governing body has the power to decide on its status.
In Sabah, the state government is led by GRS-BN, but Sabah PH representatives had, after the 15th general election, expressed support for the state government led by Hajiji until Sabah’s next election. – The Vibes, December 12, 2022
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