KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan has yet to hold seat negotiations for the impending state election with any potential partners, including Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) or Barisan Nasional, says Datuk Chan Foong Hin.
The deputy Sabah DAP chairman said this is because discussions on seats are still ongoing within the coalition.
“Seat negotiations among Pakatan's component parties have not been finalised... we will wait for (these) to conclude before making a decision (on alliances),” the federal Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister said on Wednesday (March 19) after visiting a chocolate factory in Penampang.
Apart from DAP, Sabah Pakatan also comprises PKR, Amanah and Upko.
ALSO READ: Sabah Pakatan teamed up with GRS for stability after BN-Warisan failed coup, says PKR
“Once internal seat allocations are settled, we will see how to proceed,” he added.
He said unlike its former ally Parti Warisan, Sabah Pakatan was not rushing to announce its stance.
“We are not rushing to declare that we will contest alone (or otherwise). The door for negotiations remains open," he said.
ALSO READ: Sabah STAR eyes Chinese-majority seats in upcoming state polls
Asked about GRS component Sabah STAR’s intention to contest in Chinese-majority seats, Chan noted that every party has the right to express its aspirations.
“Any party can decide how many seats it wishes to contest. However, as long as Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor remains the head of GRS and has expressed a commitment to maintaining collaboration with Pakatan, we will wait for a final decision from the Chief Minister," he said.
Chan also pointed out that DAP, like Sabah STAR, is looking to expand its influence.
“Sabah STAR wants to contest in urban areas, and at the same time, DAP is looking to extend our reach into rural areas. We believe this is a fair approach,” he said.
ALSO READ: Sabah Barisan not going solo in state polls, says Bung
He said DAP had a growing presence in rural areas such as Keningau, where the party has built a significant voter base despite unsuccessful campaigns there in the last two state elections and GE15.
“We received a substantial number of votes in Keningau, and... our representative Grelydia Gillod (Sabah DAP’s GE15 candidate) has been active in the area.
“While we did not win in the last two state elections or the 2022 parliamentary polls, we still received a significant number of votes. This (is) promising, and we believe we are on the right path moving forward,” he added.
In GE15, Grelydia obtained 15,099 votes against Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who won the seat with 23,155 votes in a four-cornered fight.
