KOTA KINABALU: As talk persists of an early election in Sabah this year, Upko, a party aligned to the Sabah government, is calling for a fresh take on seat allocation among parties aligned to the current state administration.
Its president Datuk Ewon Benedick said this is because the political alignments that emerged after the last state election in 2020 no longer apply today.
Ewon, who is Kadamaian assemblyman, said this after some lawmakers and parties staked claims on their currently held seats despite the fact that they had won them under a different party in 2020.
Of Sabah’s 73 lawmakers, at least 31 have switched parties and coalitions since the 2020 state election.
“I do not agree if anyone says that he or she should stand in a particular seat just because they won the last round, despite already having left their old party and joined another,” said the Penampang MP after launching the Sipitang and Labuan Zone Upko convention on Saturday.
“As all parties will start to request seats that they wish to contest, it is best that discussions are held with a new and fresh approach.
“Upko is ever ready to discuss and find a common ground on all the seat allocation matters,” said the federal-level Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development Minister.
Sabah’s political alignments had also changed after the 15th General Election in 2022, when the unity government, which comprised former political rivals, came to federal power.
“This is why a new approach to seat negotiation and allocation must be formulated since allies and foes in Sabah have changed,” Benedick said.
