Deputy Works minister, Datuk Arthur Joseph Kurup delivered his speech during the Works Ministry Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house on May 23.-AZMAN GHANI/The Star.
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) is hoping for the Barisan Nasional leadership to "sort out" the confusion over the election pact between Sabah Barisan and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
PBRS deputy president Datuk Arthur Kurup (pic) contended that there was some apprehension after a previous remark by Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin over seats won by GRS in the 15th General Election (GE15).
"I think there is a bit of scepticism because Perikatan came here recently and said whatever seats GRS wins will belong to Perikatan," he said, when met at an event here on Saturday (Oct 22).
"And Perikatan also issued a statement to say Barisan is their main enemy. So, that’s why we said this is very confusing to us.
"This is because on one level, they (Perikatan) are saying they want to work together (through the GRS-Barisan pact in Sabah) but on another level they are saying 'you (Barisan) are our main enemy'."
"So, we need some clarity on how we are going to move forward. I think the (Barisan) leadership will sort that out and announce that soon - hopefully it will be sorted out for the betterment of a stable government," Arthur added.
PBRS is a component party of Barisan Nasional.
Muhyiddin, who is also Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) president, had said previously that GRS’ victory could be viewed as a win for the party because the coalition was part of Perikatan.
Following this, Arthur’s father, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, who was also the PBRS president, had on Oct 15 urged Sabah Barisan to go solo in the state, saying the cooperation with GRS will only benefit Perikatan.
Kurup's statement came just hours after Sabah Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin said there would be no clash with GRS in the sharing of the 25 Parliament seats in the state on a 50:50 basis.
Although Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had not included Sabah in his call for Barisan to fly solo in the general election, Kurup said the state should also be part of the coalition's national direction, in line with a memorandum that PBRS had sent to the leadership earlier.
Arthur backed the call by the PBRS president, saying they were only echoing Zahid’s previous call when it (PBRS) proposed for Sabah Barisan to break off ties with GRS.
"We are supporting that (Zahid’s national call for Barisan to go solo in GE15).
"We will comply with whatever the leadership decides but as for now, (if) the leadership said they are prepared to go solo, we are also prepared to go solo," he said.
On the number of seats PBRS was eyeing, Arthur said they have submitted their proposal to the Barisan leadership.
He added he was also prepared to defend the interior Pensiangan parliamentary seat of which he was the incumbent.
It was the sole MP seat held by PBRS which did not have any state seat.
"Definitely (we are eyeing) more than one seat so, we’ll see what is the decision.
"But whatever the outcome, our main goal is to ensure that the country and our people will enjoy a stable government after the general polls," he said.
