Sabah no stranger to changing govt – Nik Nazmi

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Nik Nazmi (third right) launching the PH Sabah Youth welfare dinner with other invited guests.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is no stranger when it comes to changing its government, Pakatan Harapan (PH) Youth national chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said.

“Before Selangor and Pulau Pinang had even changed it its government, Sabah had already done it first. What I ask from you (the Sabahans) today is to give us (PH) that chance once again,” Nik Nazmi said at the PH Youth welfare dinner at Sri Tanjung Restaurant here on Saturday.

“I plead that all Sabahans will utilise this opportunity that we have in the next election…Other than Kelantan, Sabah is the only other state that has no fear in making a change,” he stressed.

Such thing can only be done if PH can form the federal government in the next election, he said.

He reiterated that PH had shown good progress based on its performance in the last two elections.

He also said that Barisan Nasional (BN) was wrong in classifying Sabah and Sarawak as ‘fixed deposits’ in the next election.

“No matter how strong we (the opposition) in Sabah, we would not be able to make any change if we fail to takeover Putrajaya,” he stressed, adding that the partnership between local opposition and PH is vital in achieving the goal.

In noting that there are a lot of things that the Peninsular Malaysia can learn from Sabah, Nik Nazmi asserted that Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) and the Federal Constitution were supposed to give Sabah exclusive rights.

“However, it is sad to see that these rights are deteriorating each passing day. To me this is a tragedy.

“Sabah and Sarawak are rich with resources, in its waters and in its land. It has a large population that is filled with hardworking people. Despite all these, Sabah is still far behind,” he said in comparing Sabah with other opposition-led states such as Selangor.

He questioned why Sabah, a state that is governed under BN has the highest poverty rate in the country, citing it as issue that has to be addressed.

He had also lambasted certain quarters that had labelled the component parties of PH as ‘Malayan parties’.

In addition, he reminded the members of the party of the importance of rural seats in the next election.

Among those present were PH Sabah chairperson Christina Liew, PH Youth national vice chairperson Yeo Bee Yin, Amanah Sabah chairman Hj Hamzah Abdullah, PH Youth Sabah chief Raymond Ahuar and DAP Sabah secretary Chan Foong Hin.