Birth of new national opposition bloc soon?

Kuching: A new national opposition alliance may emerge soon as seven parties on both sides of the South China Sea enter the final stage of their discussion.If everything goes according to plan, the seven will form the biggest alternative political partnership to fight the Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition in the next general election due to be called by June 2018, Sarawak Reform Party (Reform) President Lina Soo told reporters here Thursday.

"We are in the final stage of fine-tuning the details of the formation of the coalition and its constitution and framework," she said.

The parties are Reform, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS Baru), peninsula-based People's Alternative Party, Sabah-based Malaysian United People's Party, Pertubuhan Perpaduan Rakyat Kebangsaan Sabah, Parti Gagasan Bersama Rakyat Sabah and Parti Kebangsaan Sabah.

Soo said once a decision has been reached, the seven will sign a memorandum of understanding to formalise their alliance, which will be called Saksama, an acronym for Sarawak, Sabah and Malaya.

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An application and symbol for the new coalition will then be filed with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and upon approval, to the Election Commission, that will enable Saksama candidates to contest elections under one common banner.

"We don't expect any problem for the coalition to be registered as we will be complying with the requirements of the Societies Act 1966," she said, adding that under Section 2 of the Act defines a "society" of having seven or more members.

"The Barisan Nasional is a legal political entity because it has more than seven members," she said, and added that the previous Pakatan Rakyat pact failed to gain RoS approval because it only had three parties.

Soo said the seven would welcome any opposition party into their ranks except those that already had branches nationwide.

"DAP, PKR, Amanah and PAS are ruled out from being members of the coalition because they have set up their branches in Sarawak and Sabah," she said.

Soo said the would-be coalition's constitution bars its members from peninsular Malaysia from setting up their branches in Sarawak or Sabah.

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"We have agreed in our second meeting in Kota Kinabalu recently that coalition's members registered in the peninsula cannot spread their wings to Sarawak and Sabah. Neither do those registered in Sarawak can set up their branches in peninsula or Sabah," she said.

She said Saksama subscribes to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 which puts Sarawak, Sabah and peninsular Malaysia as equal partners in the formation of Malaysia.

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