KOTA KINABALU: Parti Amanah Nasional (Amanah) is hoping to contest in the upcoming Sabah election like any other party, says Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu (pic).
The Amanah president said being part of Pakatan Harapan, the party stood a chance to vie for seats as much as other component parties in the coalition.
The state government is currently helmed by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS)-Pakatan, whose term will end in September next year.
“As we are contesting under the coalition banner (Pakatan), then any party will stand a chance,” said the Agriculture and Food Security Minister, after launching the Sabah International Food Expo 2024 here on Saturday (March 9).
“Of course, we hope Amanah can contest as well but that depends on the negotiations between the parties in the unity government,” Mohamad added.
Amanah had contested only one seat in the last Sept 26, 2020 snap Sabah state election when it used the Parti Warisan logo, as part of the Warisan Plus loose coalition at the time.
With PKR, DAP and Upko seen as the more dominant Sabah Pakatan parties, it remains to be seen whether Amanah will be considered for any seat by the Pakatan leadership for the next state polls.
Besides Pakatan, GRS has a total of seven component parties led by the anchor Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat), and all would be jostling for the 73 state seats available.
Asked whether Amanah was looking at contesting any of the six parliamentary seats held by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) if they were declared vacant, Mohamad noted it was too early to comment.
“Let’s just wait. We will cross the bridge when the time comes,” he said.
Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had previously said they would try to wrest back the six parliamentary seats if they were vacated.
Ahmad Zahid was reported to have said that these seats were once held by the coalition, adding Barisan candidates should be given the priority to contest in these constituencies should they be vacated.
The Deputy Prime Minister however, said he believed that Parliamentary regulations and the Federal Constitution do not provide for the six MPs to be stripped of their seats despite efforts by Bersatu to declare their seats vacant.
He said this in response to news reports that six Bersatu seats might have to be vacated if the MPs stick to their stand of supporting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister.
This was after an amendment to Article 10 of the Bersatu constitution, as approved at a special general meeting on March 2, for the immediate stripping of membership of any MP who pledges support for any political party in contravention of the party’s directive or stand.
The six Bersatu MPs who have expressed support for Anwar are Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal (Bukit Gantang), Mohd Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Datuk Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjong Karang), Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Datuk Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar) and Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan).
