KOTA KINABALU: The decision by Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Malaysia (KDM) president Datuk Peter Anthony fo the party to contest seven parliamentary seats indicates that they have severed ties with Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), says a political analyst.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) lecturer Dr Romzi Ationg said it was clear that Anthony and KDM were working on their own plans which goes against the spirit of its collaboration with GRS – who is in turn working with Sabah Barisan Nasional to avoid clashing in GE15.
He was commenting on Anthony's announcement on Saturday (Oct 29) to contest the three Sabah interior Parliament seats of Tenom, Pensiangan and Keningau.
Earlier this week, Anthony said that KDM was contesting Kota Kinabalu, Kota Marudu, Sepanggar and Kimanis sparking speculations that KDM was only shadowing likely seats to be contested by Barisan and Parti Bersatu Sabah.
On how it will affect the GRS-Barisan pact, Romzi said he did not believe KDM would be able to gain significant impact or make inroads in GE15.
However, he said KDM might had support from voters unhappy with candidates from mainstream parties in certain areas, citing Bandau assemblyman Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, who quit Bersatu and was named KDM's candidate for Kota Marudu, as an example.
Following Wetrom's move to join KDM, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor sacked him as a state assistant minister.
Political observers also said that the removal of Wetrom had taken away any doubt that there was a political play between GRS and its "friendly" KDM candidates in seats likely to be contested by Sabah Barisan and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), a GRS component party.
Last week, Sabah Umno secretary Datuk Jafry Arifin had asked Hajiji to explain why KDM, a supposedly GRS-friendly party, was naming candidates for some seats amid GRS-Sabah Barisan negotiations.
Hajiji also moved to appoint Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah's Kukusan assemblyman Rina Jainal as political secretary. Harapan Rakyat is also a GRS-friendly and is not contesting in GE15.
GRS currently comprises Bersatu, PBS, Sabah STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and Usno while Sabah Barisan comprises Umno, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), MCA and MIC.
The two coalitions took over the state government in the 2020 Sabah polls.
Both Hajiji and Sabah Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin are finalising an electoral pact to share the 25 parliamentary seats in Sabah on a 50:50 ratio that is expected to be completed soon.
