Accept results of Sabah elections, says Bersih

(FMT) – Electoral reform group Bersih 2.0 tonight urged everyone to accept the outcome of the recent state assembly elections in Sabah, which resulted in Warisan and its allies losing power.

Bersih’s steering committee said the coalitions and alliances that were formed for the elections should be respected, as many voters would have voted according to these alignments.

GRS, which comprises Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional and PBS, should be allowed to govern for the next five years after the alliance won 38 seats in the new 73-member state assembly, the group said.

Bersih 2.0 said the people of Sabah would be better served if Warisan and its allies were to play the role of opposition, as an effective watchdog of the GRS government.

“Such a posture would be better than the constant scheming to bring down the government midterm,” Bersih 2.0 said in a statement.

It also urged the incoming chief minister to implement several reforms including a recall election which would allow voters to trigger a special election to sack elected representatives who defected to another party.

They also called for all assembly members to receive equal funding regardless of party affiliation and ranking in government.

“Opposition representatives must not be institutionally handicapped in serving the needs of their constituents,” the group said. Funding should be channeled to parties based on vote share at the last election, to prevent abuse of public resources.