GE13: Sabah PKR grabs 7 MP seats; ignores DAP, PAS
(Borneo Insider) – Our stand is that, since PAS did not contest any of these seven constituencies they have no right to contest. DAP obtained lesser votes in Sepangar and Putatan; they even lost to PKR candidates.
Parti Keadialan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah Thursday unveiled a list of seven proposed candidates for the West Coast North Zone.
They are senior lawyer Hj Ansari Abdullah (Tuaran), anti-illegal immigrant activist Dr Chong Eng Leong (Sepangar), Mazhry Nasir (Putatan), Anthony Mandiau (Kota Marudu), Mursalim Tanjul (Kudat), Saidil Semoi (Kota Belud) and Jonathan Yassin, the division chief for PKR Ranau, who is also brother-in-law to Ansari.
Unveiling this was Ansari who is also currently PKR Tuaran Chief in the presence of five of the seven proposed candidates and the various PKR divisional chiefs, in a press conference held at its Headquarters here.
“In line with the promise for autonomy (by Pakatan Rakyat leadership), we have taken the liberty to release the names of the seven candidates that have been picked by the respective divisions. All the seven divisional heads of the seven divisions are also here.
“We are very confident that Datuk Seri Anwar and the party leaderships of PAS and DAP will honour their commitment that matters involving Sabah will be decided by Sabahans.
“This is a test of whether the party leadership is sincere in its promise to give us autonomy. We are very confident that the party will pass this test,” he said.
He claimed that all the candidates have been long identified, as far back as two years ago, and their backgrounds too have been thoroughly vetted.
Ansari also declared that all the seven divisions had during their meeting held earlier reach a consensus to make clear their stands that the other PR components and allies should not contest for any of the said seven constituencies.
“Our stand is that, since PAS did not contest any of these seven constituencies they have no right to contest. DAP obtained lesser votes in Sepangar and Putatan; they even lost to PKR candidates.
“Neither did they contest in any of the other five constituencies, so DAP should not also lodge any claim on these seven constituencies in the West Coast North Zone.
“Therefore, all the seats should go to PKR,” he proclaimed.
As for the APS led by Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing, Ansari noted that Bumburing had during the launch of APS declared that APS’s purpose is not to fight for candidacy but to help the PR, and secondly, they will not take PKR members but those who left BN without any party.
“Datuk Wilfred is my friend, he is an honourable man and I am sure he is a man of his words,” added Ansari.
Besides this, he also emphatically rebutted the notion by a certain local opposition parties that PKR/PR is just a clone of UMNO/BN.
“That’s not right, because in our Buku Jingga, one of the undertakings given by PR is to treat Sabah as an “equal partner” rather than just another state and whatever that has been agreed under the Malaysia Agreement will be honoured by the coalition,” he contended.
He was convinced that the Pakatan leadership is sincere and committed to their promise of honouring political autonomy to Sabah should it comes into power.
He said this was adequately reflected in the open pledge made by the Pakatan leaderships like Anwar, Datuk Hadi Awang of PAS and Lim Kit Siang of DAP in various occasions, both in Sabah and Sarawak.
He cited for example, in 15 September 2010 during the launching of PR Secretariat in Bukit Padang here, Anwar, Kit Siang and Ustaz Nasharuddin Mat Isa of PAS had pledged that all important decisions affecting Sabah will be decided by Sabahans.
“And in Last September, in the Kuching Declaration signed by Anwar, Ustaz Hadi Awang and Kit Siang, once again they reiterated that Sabah and Sarawak should be treated as partners within the Federation,” he said.
