PR still in touch with SAPP on seats negotiations

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KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Sabah is still in communication with Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) on the issue of seats allocation for the 13th general election.

According to the president of its component party, Angakatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing, they are still in touch with SAPP leaders on the seats allocation issue, especially for the predominantly KadazanDusun Murut-based constituencies.

“We are in touch with their leaders, not necessarily Datuk Yong Teck Lee (SAPP president). Of course, there are overlapping areas (of seats). As of now, Datuk Yong and SAPP have said that their basic stand is to contest in more than 50 per cent of the seats in Sabah.

“To my thinking that poses a bit of a problem because Pakatan Rakyat Sabah comprises of five members, PAS, DAP, PKR, APS and PPPS. So if one party takes more than half, what is left for the rest?

“I think we should be practical in approaching the issue,” he said, adding that so far there has been no change in SAPP’s demand.

He also said that the Pakatan Rakyat Sabah leadership would be contacting SAPP for a follow up on the matter.

Bumburing said this when met yesterday after submitting a statement on the presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah to the police to assist the Royal Commission of Inquiry on the matter.

The Tuaran member of parliament was also asked for updates on the negotiations with Sabah STAR, as Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had said that Bumburing had been appointed to talk to its chairman, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan about working with the opposition front.

To this he replied: “We have tried to talk but Sabah STAR said that their declared policy is to reject all the Peninsular-based parties, so how to talk? To us in APS, we do not agree with the Malaya Agenda vs Borneo Agenda policy.

“We are all Malaysians, this is our country. The question now is how to bring the country forward? How to change the system of government under BN? How can you change the government system when you are already taking a very parochial attitude towards Sabah?

“Our stand in APS is that we believe in national politics. Because of their stand, I am really not confident that there will be any positive headway in the matter unless Sabah STAR accept the fact that we must have real collaboration and working relationship.

“If their stand is to reject the three Peninsular-based parties then how to talk? We are not putting any hope on this. I think many of its (Sabah STAR) supporters are now thinking rationally. The Papar division has been dissolved and we are informed that many more STAR divisions will be dissolved and its leaders joining Pakatan.

“They are now realizing that Dr Jeffrey has been painting a very sweet and beautiful but unrealistic picture. For example, moving the state administration to Keningau and converting Sabah into five states. Who will accept that?” Bumburing questioned.

When asked if Sabah STAR’s refusal to work with the opposition front would affect Pakatan Rakyat’s chances of winning in the state, Bumburing stressed that voters in Sabah would be more focused on Pakatan Rakyat and BN.

“Many people are saying that they are ready for a change but they are concerned about it being not being a straight fight. This is what I have to say, in the history of Sabah, there has never been a one-to-one-fight. When Berjaya fought Usno, it was not one-to-one, there were other parties like Bersepadu but it was between Berjaya and Usno.

“The same happened in 1985, it was not a straight fight between Berjaya and PBS, there were other parties like Bersekutu and Pasok but in the end people were deciding between PBS and Berjaya.

“Those parties who play little ‘politics in between’ will be forgotten. Now I strongly believe that this coming election, the people of Sabah will determine between Pakatan and BN … I strongly believe that this is going to be the case this coming election,” he said.