Kung (fourth left) presents a souvenir to Liew.
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) will fully support Parti Warisan Sabah’s (Warisan) candidate if a by-election is called for the Kimanis parliamentary seat.
Based on the 14th General Election’s (GE14) consensus, PH Sabah chairperson Datuk Christina Liew said the Kimanis seat would be contested by a Warisan candidate.
“We do not see any reason to change the candidate.
“I have personally contacted DAP (Democratic Action Party), Amanah (Parti Amanah Negara) and PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat), we have all agreed to support the Warisan candidate.”
Liew, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, said that when asked on the possible by-election for the Kimanis parliamentary seat previously held by Datuk Seri Anifah Aman after officiating at a photographic exhibition held in conjunction with the 180th World Photography Day at the State Library in Tanjung Aru here yesterday.
The Election Court declared Anifah’s victory in Kimanis as null and void on August 16. Nonetheless, Anifah’s legal team said the former foreign minister has instructed them to file an appeal at the Federal Court.
Liew, who heads Sabah PKR, said she would call a meeting for Sabah PH very soon to discuss the potential by-election.
“For PKR, we are ready to assist Warisan’s candidate in the event of a by-election.”
Nevertheless, she said the Election Commission (EC) had not announced a by-election for the Kimanis parliamentary seat.
“From what I knew when I was practising as a lawyer in the past, there is no appeal for election petition.
“Anifah’s lawyer said he is going to appeal. I have never heard of this when I was a practising lawyer.
“Maybe now they have changed the law, I don’t know. Maybe he (Anifah) has his way of interpreting the law. We just wait and see.”
In the GE14, Anifah won the Kimanis parliamentary seat with 156-vote majority. He secured 11,942 votes against Warisan’s candidate, Datuk Karim Bujang who garnered 11,786 votes and Parti Harapan’s Jaafar Ismail, who received 1,300 votes.
On the photographic exhibition organized by the Sabah Professional Photographers Society, Liew said the event would help promote Sabah via photographs as a picture is worth 1,000 words.
“I am delighted to see members of The Sabah Professional Photographers Society today and for the next whole week showcase their photographic creations mainly focusing on Sabah’s rich culture, unique scenery, flora and fauna in today’s 180th World Photography Day Photographic Exhibition.”
She commended the society for its tireless effort in continuing to promote photography since its establishment in 1999.
The minister also announced a grant of RM20,000 to the society in support of its activities.
Also present was Sabah Professional Photographers Society president Kung Ping Kun.