Anwar’s hidden agenda in Sabah?
Why is Anwar Ibrahim insisting that Pakatan Rakyat contest in both state and parliament seats when the coalition had made known that it cannot win Sabah?
(FMT) – KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim’s abrupt dismissal of local parties in the coalition’s bid to “push BN out of power” in Sabah in the coming general election has left many unanswered questions.
Local opposition Sabah Progressive Peoples Party (SAPP) for one is puzzled since DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang had not too long ago said that the coalition did not expect to win in Sabah.
“(So) if Pakatan do not expect to win in Sabah as mentioned by Lim Kit Siang then why are they obstructing Sabah parties such as SAPP from fighting for state rights?
“Are they having some hidden agenda which is more important than toppling BN in Sabah?” asked SAPP secretary-general Richard Yong.
Yong also recalled that Pakatan had already made known that they had a good chance of retaining Penang, Selangor, Kelantan, Kedah and winning Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Perlis.
With so much going for Pakatan in Peninsula, Yong thinks its “over-confidence” that is driving Pakatan’s decision to single-handedly take on the mighty Barisan Nasional.
“They hold themselves so high that therefore there is no need for cooperation from Sabah parties to campaign against the Barisan Nasional.
“They have ignored the people’s aspiration for the opposition to go one-to-one against the BN at the coming elections,” he said.
Anwar had earlier this week said that the coalition will not engage in any more talk with local parties and will focus on solidifying its agenda in Sabah together with its newfound allies Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS).
Both PPPS and APS are not registered parties and their candidates will be fielded under PKR, PAS or DAP. PPPS is led by BN defectors Laim Ukin (Beaufort MP ) and Wilfred Bumburing (Tuaran MP).
Both were tasked by Anwar to ‘draw-in’ the Muslim and Kadazandusun voters respectively. He obviously now believes that this is a done deal.
The decision had sidelined SAPP and the Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party (STAR). Both parties, like everyone else, had hoped to see a straight fights in majority of the seats in the coming election.
