KOTA KINABALU: Newly-elected PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar's statement that the party is eyeing 13 seats in the upcoming Sabah election was not a unilateral decision by the central leadership, says one of its youth leaders.
Mohd Guntur Sangkah said the figure was based on discussions involving Sabah PKR and potential election partners Barisan Nasional and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
"(The statement) was shaped based on a spirit of mature political cooperation, without sidelining the role of local parties," said Guntur, Sabah PKR's Pensiangan division youth leader and a member of the central youth committee.
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He was responding Tuesday (May 27) to a recent statement by Sabah STAR's information chief Anuar Ghani that federal parties in Pakatan and Barisan were undermining state rights by putting pressure on GRS to work with them.
"Sabah PKR is not merely a ‘branch’ that blindly follows central directives.
"Since its inception, Sabah PKR has been built through close collaboration between local leaders and national leadership, making it a truly rooted national party in Sabah," Guntur said in a statement.
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Guntur said PKR is the only national party to enshrine the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) in its party constitution, a clear commitment to the rights and autonomy of Sabah.
"Sabah STAR, on the other hand, should reflect on its own record before labelling others as political outsiders,” he said.
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He said Sabah STAR had once aligned itself with Perikatan Nasional, a coalition that openly weakened Sabah’s position in MA63 negotiations and failed to deliver on many development promises.
"The reality is, Sabah PKR has remained consistent in its fight for reform and justice for the people of Sabah, while STAR continues to shift its stance according to political convenience.
"What Sabah needs is stability and principle, not opportunism," Guntur said.
