KOTA KINABALU: The four-party Sabah Pakatan Harapan will complete its internal negotiations before starting talks on electoral pacts with other coalitions or individual parties for the state election due by September 2025.
Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said that the state leaders from PKR, DAP, Amanah and Upko have formed a committee and held a series of meetings to negotiate and discuss seats they were looking at.
"Sabah Pakatan will first complete internal discussions and negotiations before starting cooperation negotiations with any party or coalition," he said Wednesday (Nov 6).
His statement comes a day after Sabah Pakatan and Sabah Barisan Nasional held informal talks here to map out points of discussions in seat negotiations.
Mustapha said that Sabah PKR remains open to exploring cooperation with other parties in line with further strengthening the Madani government.
Mustapha said that they also welcomed Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor's statement that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) was ready to set up a seat negotiation committee as it would strengthen the existing cooperation and political stability.
"Sabah PKR also wants to emphasise that the basic principle of this cooperation needs to be based on good governance and putting the interests and welfare of the people first.
"In our negotiation process, we want to emphasise that an inclusive approach can be implemented fairly.
"The discussion should also cover the distribution of elected members, the quota of GLC chairmen and board of directors as well positions at the village and community levels at the constituencies," he said.
During Wednesday's informal meeting between Sabah Pakatan and Sabah Barisan, he said they discussed points to be discussed and respect differences of opinion in determining Sabah's political direction.
He said that the approach for cooperation in Sabah required a different approach to the Peninsular Malaysia context.
Talks of possible electoral pacts between various coalitions and individual parties have been on the table, but remains fluid.
GRS, an eight-member local-based coalition headed by Hajiji, has yet to make a collective decision for cooperation with the national parties though Hajiji himself has indicated that GRS needs to cooperate with Pakatan in the state election.
However, some of GRS member parties - Parti STAR led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) under Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee and Usno led by Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia prefer GRS go it alone.
State Opposition Warisan, led Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, has remained aloof from any negotiations though they have indicated that the party will work with other local-based parties.
Another local-based party, KDM, led by Datuk Peter Anthony, has also taken a solo approach so far with no indication of tying up with either other local-based or national parties.
Both Warisan and KDM are part of the national unity government.
Currently, GRS holds 42 seats, Sabah Pakatan seven seats, Sabah Barisan 13 seats including two assemblymen suspended by the party for working with GRS while Warisan holds 14 seats, KDM two seats and PAS one seat in the 79-member house.
