Kota Kinabalu: PKR Sabah is more focused on maintaining political stability and the people’s welfare rather than arguing with components in Pakatan Harapan Sabah on whether to continue working with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.
Its Chairman, Datuk Ts Mustapha Sakmud, said it is best if no parties in PH Sabah made foolish mistakes that would create more problems.
“PKR is also facing a barrage of issues at national level but at the end we have to prioritise political stability, continued harmony and the wishes of the people.
“We hold on to that so that whatever arises, we will be steady in facing them. We have to be prepared for the storm without losing sight of our focus.
“Only this will subside the issue and whenever there are disputes central leadership would have to intervene.
“These matters could be supposedly settled at state level, but in this case we follow Pakatan Harapan’s constitution which must be affirmed by the council of presidents,” he told a press conference, Sunday.
He was replying to rumours that PH Sabah is split on a continued unity government with GRS. Later, PKR Sabah Secretary Sazalye Donol in a statement said the party rests full confidence in Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor who is also GRS Chairman.
Sazalye said any attempts to overthrow would only descend the state politics into chaos as his leadership would bring Sabah to a more respectable and progressive direction.
“Hajiji is also the one directly responsible for shaping the Unity Government at federal level now known as the Madani (civilised) government,” he said.
On the PH Sabah top post now occupied by Upko’s Datuk Ewon Benedick, Mustapha said there are other policies that must be taken into account other than component votes.
“We accept the technical result but there are differences of opinions which have created disputes, thus requiring intervention by the presidential council.”
Meanwhile, he said the best formula for Sabah’s development is partnering with local and national parties as has been the norm.
Refuting the narrative that they are a Malayan party, he stressed that PKR is a national party and its leaders are all locals.
PKR Sabah Information Chief Razeef Rakimin said the Sabah chapter was established on 4th April 1999 simultaneously with the central leadership.
“We are not a party created in peninsula and then later brought into Sabah. We were born in Sabah and have been here for over 25 years.
“We have made many friends along the way and honestly PKR has been the steadiest.
“PKR Sabah is unphased by this narrative but realistically, we need local support in PH Sabah as well to balance out our future programmes,” he said.
