KOTA KINABALU: It is inappropriate to single out national political parties from the coming Sabah election as they are “localised” through their leaders, says Razeef Rakimin.

The PKR deputy information chief said that most of their leaders in Sabah are Sabahans.

He said Sabah PKR was also conceived during the nationwide launch on April 4, 1999.

“Although PKR is a national-based party, in Sabah, we (leaders) are Sabahans. We are born here, and this is reflected in our identity cards. We are also aware of Sabahans’ interest, “ he said.

He was responding to United Sabah National Organisation (Usno) president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia’s recent statement urging peninsula-based parties to sit out the Sabah polls and let only local outfits contest.

Razeef, who is also the Sabah PKR information chief, said Pandikar Amin’s statement was his personal opinion and not representing the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).

“I believe that GRS is smart enough (not to make such a statement) and knows who their suitable partners would be. It is their prerogative,” he said.

Razeef also described Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s suggestion that all parties working with GRS, including Pakatan Harapan, should contest using the ruling state coalition’s logo in the upcoming state election as his personal opinion.

“Any decision on the state election will be decided after the dissolution. This includes the use of the logo. It was his (Kitingan) own personal view and does not represent GRS,” he told reporters at a press conference here on Friday (Aug 30).

Kitingan, who is GRS deputy chairman, suggested using the same logo as such campaigning would show that the parties that are now part of the state government are united.

The Deputy Chief Minister pointed out that a Pakatan component had done this before through DAP, which had contested under Parti Warisan’s banner in the 2020 Sabah state snap election, and added that Bersatu had previously contested under the PKR logo in the 2018 general election.

“It’s not wrong. It only shows how united we are. I think that will be more important so that we are seen as one bloc,” he added.

Pandikar said that GRS must assert its autonomy by urging parties from across the pond not to contest the next state election, which is due next year but could be called earlier.

The former Dewan Rakyat speaker contended that three of the eight GRS component parties favoured going all in for the 73 state seats in the polls.

According to Pandikar, these parties, besides Usno, were Sabah Progressive Party led by Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee and Sabah STAR, all of which did not want peninsula-based parties to contest in the election.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/08/30/national-parties-have-039localised039-presence-in-sabah-elections-says-pkr-deputy-information-chief