Fifteen Sabah PKR division leaders want state party chief Sangkar to resign 'honourably'

Kota Marudu division chief Sazalye Donol (seated, second from left) with other division leaders and members at the press conference in Kota Kinabalu.

KOTA KINABALU: Three elected representatives are among 15 division chiefs demanding that Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Dr Sangkar Rasam quit his position "honourably".

The 15 division chiefs include Kota Belud PKR chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud (Deputy Higher Education Minister), Api Api division chief Datuk Christina Liew (Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister) and Sepanggar division chief Petos Galim (state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industries Assistant Minister).

A spokesman for the group, Kota Marudu PKR chief Sazalye Donol told a press conference here on Monday (March 18) that they have asked Sangkar to quit as Sabah PKR chairman as he had allegedly failed to strengthen the party in the state.

Sazalye said they had asked Sangkar, who chaired the Sabah PKR leadership council committee meeting on Sunday (March 17), to resign honourably but he refused.

"All 15 of us walked out of the meeting," he said, adding that Mustapha, Liew and Petos were also at the Sabah PKR leadership council meeting.

The other division chiefs were Razeef Rakimin (Tuaran), Raymond Ahuar (Pensiangan), Wendey Agong (Sipitang), Dikin Musah (Beaufort), Basran Omar (Beluran), Azmi Tambuyong (Kinabatangan), Roslee Malek (Papar), Awang Chuchu (Kimanis), Roslan Sapar (Kalabakan), Aris Remigius (Batu Sapi) and Amin Mem (Semporna).

He said the demand for Sangkar to be replaced had been made since July 2023 as they had all signed statutory declarations urging the president to replace Sangkar as he had allegedly failed to strengthen the party and protect the interests of its members in the current unity government at the state level.

He said they sent the letter and statutory declarations to PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim through his political secretary late last year.

"We have suggested a few names as possible replacements," he said, only saying that the names provided were for those currently holding positions in the government.

Sazalye and other division chiefs dismissed as speculation late last year that the names of former chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman or his brother Tan Sri Anifah Aman were on the list to take over the leadership of Sabah PKR.

The group insisted that they have provided a choice of names for the PKR president to choose from.

"We don't want to reveal any names as we want the president to make a decision without being bound by us," he added.

The main reason the group wants a change is because since taking over the helm, Sangkar, the Keningau division chief, had allegedly failed to carry out any leadership, strategic, communication and information programmes for the party.

"He only held gatherings for visiting national leaders," he said, adding that Sangkar himself was "little known" and did not command the respect of state leaders under the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Pakatan Harapan government.

"At the meeting on Sunday, we raised all his weaknesses but he refused to resign and we walked out in protest," he said, adding that they hoped Anwar would take appropriate steps to strengthen the party ahead of the coming state election.

Sabah PKR has not been a stranger to calls for a change in its state chairman as on numerous occasions over the last 25 years, similar calls have been made by local leaders wanting to remove the incumbent state chairman.