Bumburing (second from right), Kalakau (left) and the divisional leaders.
KOTA KINABALU: The United Sabah Alliance (USA), a coalition of local-based opposition parties, is ready to discuss with national-based parties on working together in the 14th general election.
Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) member Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing, however, stressed that the discussion had to be done with all members of USA and not individually.
Bumburing, who is rumoured to be taking over the helm of PCS before the end of the month, stressed that the talks must also be done based on mutual respect from all involved.
The Tamparuli assemblyman said this when asked to comment on Sabah opposition chief and PKR Sabah chairman Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin’s recent statement that Pakatan Harapan Sabah hoped to get his and Sabah STAR chairman Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan’s cooperation in the 14th general election.
Lajim, who was met at PKR Sabah and DAP Sabah’s Chinese New Year open house recently, told reporters that Pakatan Harapan Sabah would officially be formed at the end of this month.
The Klias assemblyman had also specifically mentioned Bumburing and Jeffery’s names when expressing his hope to get their cooperation so that the opposition could get a one-to-one fight against Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th General Election.
“First thing, PCS’ stand is that we are ready to discuss with national-based parties but it must be on a mutual respect basis. Also why did Lajim omit to mention Datuk Yong Teck Lee?
“Even if SAPP has no elected representative, it is still a substantive party in Sabah. If you talk about working together in the next election, nobody should be left out. Maybe SAPP lost all its seats and that is history but it doesn’t mean that they have no support at all.
“Now if Pakatan Harapan wants to invite us, we have already formed USA so USA as a group must be brought in as a group. We have an understanding among us and we cannot afford to leave out any of our friends in any discussion. That is our pledge (to each other)”, he stressed.
USA comprises Parti Cinta Sabah, SAPP, Sabah STAR.
Bumburing, who is Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) president, said that USA was also prepared to talk to the recently approved 11 political parties in Sabah because they cannot simply be brushed off.
USA members, he said, also had come to a consensus about division of seats for the 14th general election. With this consensus, USA can see the possibility of a straight fight between BN and the opposition in Sabah in the 14th general election.
PCS vice president Datuk Kalakau Untol and some of the party’s divisional leaders were with Bumburing yesterday.