Sabah PKR chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud (seated centre) flanked by political bureau chief Datuk Seri Christina Liew and information chief Razeef Rakimin at the press conference on Sunday (Mar 9).
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah PKR has unanimously agreed that the party’s president and deputy president positions should not be contested in upcoming elections, citing the need for unity and stability.
Sabah PKR chief Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the consensus was reached after the party branches held their meetings ahead of the election next week.
“As of Saturday (March 8), all 24 PKR branches in the state have held their meetings, and all have now been dissolved. Only the Beaufort branch meeting has to be rescheduled due to flooding in the area.
“One key takeaway from our meeting is that most branch leaders agree that the president and deputy president positions should remain uncontested. This is to avoid internal divisions within the party,” he said during a press conference on Sunday (Mar 9).
Mustapha said that while the party values democracy, the decision aims to strengthen PKR ahead of the next general election, expected in two years.
“That being said, we do not deny the democratic process. If anyone wants to contest, we cannot stop them. However, the focus now is on unity,” he added.
Sabah PKR is preparing for the upcoming party elections, with nominations for branch chiefs, women’s and youth chiefs, and branch committees set for Mar 14 to 16.
The branch-level election will be held on April 15, while the central leadership council, Women's central leadership council, and PKR Youth central leadership council polls for the 2025–2028 term will take place on May 24.
Mustapha said PKR would adopt an online voting system for the first time.
“This is part of our efforts to modernise the election process. As a reformist party, we are reforming our polling system while also reducing bureaucracy, cutting costs, and making it easier for members to vote,” he said.
Mustapha, who is also the Deputy Higher Education Minister, said Sabah PKR typically sends two representatives to the Central Leadership Council (MPP), which has 20 available slots nationwide.
“This time around, we are endorsing the nomination of Sabah PKR information chief Razeef Rakimin for the Central Leadership Council,” he said.
Sabah PKR secretary Sazaly Donol has also announced his intention to contest for the CLC post.
On Feb 1, PKR International Bureau chairman Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin announced that the two top positions of the party would not be contested, following internal discussions and feedback from previous consultations within the party.
“The goal is to maintain internal party stability and improve service to the public, especially with the next general election approaching,” he said.
