KOTA KINABALU, Jan 4 — Speculations on seats discussion for the coming state elections at a meeting between Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor fizzled out yesterday.
Fuelled by this year being state elections year and possible partnerships between contesting parties, reporters camped near the chief minister’s residence since 4pm to wait for the meeting to end, until around 7.30pm when Sabah PKR State Leadership Council (MPN) chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud’s car passed through the gates and left the scene.
Trailing after him was Sabah PKR deputy chairman Datuk Peto Galim, who greeted reporters and said that the meeting, which was attended by himself, Mustapha as well as Sabah PKR information chief Razeef Rakimin and Sabah PKR secretary Sazalye Donol, was a normal courtesy visit to Hajiji.
“Our Sabah PKR MPN chairman, who had just returned from Umrah, was just giving support to the Chief Minister, who will be going for Umrah on the sixth.
“It was just a normal visit and exchange of ideas, there were no discussions regarding seats, MPN or conflict of ideas, nothing ‘hot’,” he said.
Sazalye declined to elaborate on the meeting topics, saying that it was for “the good of everyone, PKR and the Chief Minister,” and there were no discussions on seats.
He said their visit, which was also supposed to include PKR Api-Api chief Datuk Seri Christina Liew who could not attend due to personal reasons, was also to reiterate their support for Hajiji.
Meanwhile, Sazalye confirmed that PKR does not agree with United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president Datuk Ewon Benedick being made the Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman as Upko is a small and new party.
“They had basically just joined yesterday (Thursday) and already wants to be the chairman. If you say DAP then it is still okay, but Upko is still new bah.
“So PKR does not actually want the Sabah PH chairman post to go to Upko because they are a small party and just joined yesterday (Thursday),” he said.
Sazalye also recalled that there had never been such elections held before, and the quota for the post should have gone to Sabah PKR, refuting Sabah Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe’s recent statement saying he was unaware there was such a quota.
He also voiced his concern that that the leadership elections had been chaired by a Peninsular person from the National Trust Party (Amanah) and only six votes were allocated for the component parties’ representatives despite PKR having more numbers in Sabah.
However, Sazalye denied any internal rifts in Sabah PH, saying that this situation would not hurt any relationships between the coalition’s component parties.
“I see Ewon and Christina talking about this, but actually, this matter will be decided by the central PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, but what is important is that in essence, no such elections had been held before,” he added.
It was recently reported that Liew could return as the Sabah PH chairman, after the Sabah PKR political bureau chief lost by three votes to Ewon in a recent leadership election.
Liew, who was the Sabah PH chairwoman for seven years since 2017, said they had met with the prime minister and discussions were ongoing over the matter, when asked to comment on claims that PKR has a quota right over the chairmanship.
Ewon responded that he wants to focus on fulfilling his mandate and not dwell on the issue, and those who are dissatisfied can wait two years for the next leadership elections.
PKR, Upko, DAP and Amanah are component parties of Sabah PH. — The Borneo Post
