KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's leaders need to sit down together and create a formidable and united political structure from all the different local-based parties, says Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS).
Its deputy president Datuk James Ligunjang said this would be the best way to fight for the interests of the state and its people.
In a statement on Sunday (Nov 27), he said events following the 15th General Election (GE15) showed how fractious and "creative" some state leaders were in trying to fit in with political alignments at federal level.
In his view, their efforts had "dismal clout" because they were not unified, and therefore were irrelevant to the pursuit of state interests under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
According to Ligunjang, these leaders did not speak with a singular voice that was necessary to command the respect of their federal counterparts and show that Sabahans were united in purpose.
“The leaders of Sabah must... reflect on unity and move forward in unison to serve the interests of the state,” he added.
He said leaders like Gabungan Rakyat Sabah chairman Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Parti Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, PCS president Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan and SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee should sit down and talk seriously about a united Sabah.
“Unless and until we can merge all the local parties in Sabah into one unit, the future for Sabah will be as fractured as splintered glass,” Ligunjang said.
