Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah defended its plan to contest 13 seats in the coming 17th Sabah State Election (PRN17), stressing the decision was based on cooperation with political partners and not dictated by the party’s national leadership.
The clarification comes in response to Star Sabah Information Chief Anuar Ghani, who labelled it as a move by “political outsiders.”
A member of the AMK Malaysia leadership council and Chief of the AMK Pensiangan Branch Mohd Guntur Sangkar, said the proposed list of seats was the result of ongoing discussions between PKR Sabah and its partners in Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
“The list was shaped based on a spirit of mature political cooperation, without sidelining the role of local parties. PKR Sabah is not merely a branch that blindly follows central directives,” he said in a statement.
He said that since its formation, PKR Sabah has developed through close collaboration between local activists and national leadership, and is deeply rooted in the State.
Mohd Guntur also pointed out that PKR is the only national party that has formally enshrined the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) in its party constitution, which underscores the party’s commitment to Sabah’s rights and autonomy.
He urged Star to reflect on its own past alignments, particularly its previous cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN).
“This was a coalition that openly weakened Sabah’s position in MA63 negotiations and failed to deliver on many development promises,” he said.
He also said PKR Sabah has remained consistent in championing reform and justice for the people of Sabah, while Star’s political stance shifted depending on convenience.
“What Sabah needs is stability and principle, not opportunism,” Mohd Guntur said.
