Anwar: SAPP and STAR were untrustworthy

Alexander Chen, Borneo Insider

PKR has always been saying that local Sabah opposition parties SAPP and STAR were untrustworthy to use their de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim’s own words.

On Tuesday, he said negotiations with the SAPP had broken down when the latter insisted on contesting more seats in the state “than what we thought they deserved”.

“STAR took on a very combative position, at times saying that if they win, they would have the option of whether to support BN or PKR — we do not accept this,” he said.

Anwar was at a Press conference in Petaling Jaya to announced that the overlapping contests with PAS in some six seats, had been resolved when he was asked about Sabah.

He said the entry of Sabah-based parties Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and State Reform Party (STAR) in the opposition’s battle for Sabah, had been expected.

But was Anwar really telling the truth or was he lying, a political analyst who wished to remain unnamed queried.

The last time around, a few days before Nomination Day, Anwar said he was willing to sort matters out with SAPP, but nothing materialised.

According to sources who were at that Press conference then, it was not Anwar who put forward the idea of late talks.

“Rather, it was in the form of a question posed by a reporter, and Anwar truing to be seen as accommodating, replied that PR could still talk with SAPP,” said the analyst.

“But the leaders he chose to talk with SAPP never carried out his instructions,” he added, saying he suspected that one particular leader feared he would not get to contest in Tawau if SAPP teamed up with PR.