Kota Kinabalu: There is disagreement within Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah over the number of seats it should contest in the nest State election.
A party Supreme Council member disagreed with Sabah Chairman Datuk Dr Sangkar Rasam on the matter, saying it should contest up to 35 and not 25 seats, said Sazalye Donol Abdullah.
He said it was not wrong for any party to seek for more seats, adding that the 25 State Legislative Assembly (DUN) seats that Sabah Dr Sangkar meant were his personal views and not the official stand of Sabah PKR.
“The party has yet to make a decision on this unlike the United Kinabalu Progressive Organisation (Upko) which already said it wants to compete many seats,” he said.
Sangkar had said Sabah PKR’s intention to contest in 25 of the 73 state assembly seats was decided in a series of Sabah PKR tour meetings statewide.
Sangkar had said the matter would be conveyed to PKR President-cum-Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be discussed in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.
However, Sazalye who is also Kota Marudu PKR Divisional chief, said so far there has been no decision on the actual number of seats to contest except they also wanted a large number.
“Hence, Sangkar should not simply issue the statement without discussing in the Sabah (PKR) MPN Council.
“At the end of the day, we will have to accept the decision of the party’s top leadership and party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” he said.
Sazalye denied there was a split in Sabah PKR following allegations that there were differences of opinion among its leaders, including with the Sabah MPN Chairman.
He said differences are normal in a party and there is more democracy in PKR which allows its leader to speak freely but accordingly.
In principle, Sazalye said all PKR leaders in Sabah support Sangkar as he is the PKR Sabah Chairman.
“But if the Sabah MPN (PKR) Chairman is changed, then it would show that there is a problem,” he said.
