Sabah Pakatan plays the waiting game, keeps options open on election partners amid shifting alliances
KOTA KINABALU, Sept 13 — Following Umno’s declaration that it would be working with Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the upcoming polls, Datuk Christina Liew said she had also received indications from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to maintain the unity government formula.
Despite offers and persuasions from all sides, the Sabah PH chief kept her cards close, stating that the party would keep its options open until later.
“So far, I have been asked by the Prime Minister who is also the PH president to work closely within the unity government. He has been telling me that.
“I said, yes, we are. We will discuss,” said Liew when speaking to reporters after a press conference on the Malaysia Day events today.
Earlier, when asked if Umno and PH have been in communication, Liew responded, “This is a secret. I cannot say whether or not we have had communications with them.”
She was asked to comment on the statement by Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who yesterday said Umno has decided to collaborate with PH in the next Sabah state election.
Zahid, who is also Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman said this decision follow the national partnership and collaboration with PH, which is expected to strengthen the unity government.
Liew said she was not expecting the statement as there was still a year to go until the state election was due.
“I was surprised to see the news yesterday of Umno’s statement. I should be feeling good, but we have to work harder,” she said.
When asked how she felt about Sabah PH being in demand, she said the party would keep its options open, as situations and circumstances could change in a year.
“Last night, in spite of my busy schedule, I had a political bureau meeting just to sort this out. So don’t be alarmed if you see another person issue this or that (statement). There will be a lot of people saying they want this or that,” she said.
“We only know we have to work very hard now and we cooperate with the unity government and we hope to produce results. At the end of the day, we want the people to be happy with our coalition,” she said.
Although PH and BN are the main collaborators in the Federal unity government, the state government is formed mostly by local coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah(GRS) with the help of Sabah PH.
Although GRS is also an ally in the unity government, they are at loggerheads with Sabah Umno after a fall out in January 2023 where the latter pulled their support for the state government, nearly toppling chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Sabah is due for a state election by October next year but it remains to be seen whether Sabah PH will opt to work with its national ally BN or go with the localised GRS.