KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan cooperation is not exclusive; they are open to working with the "right" local parties in the upcoming state election, says a state Umno leader.
"Barisan and Pakatan must agree on choosing the best coalition partner for Sabah," wrote Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak in a Facebook post on Sunday (Mar 6).
The former chief minister, who is also Sabah Umno treasurer, said that Barisan and Pakatan, as pillars of the unity government at the federal level, must be exemplary in the upcoming state election.
"Sabah's autonomy should be respected, and political accommodation should be based on mutual respect.
"Once these principles are agreed upon, all parties must move forward as a team," he said.
Salleh, who is also the Usukan assemblyman, said any alliance must consider a fair and equitable seat distribution and outline common policies.
The Sabah election is due before October this year, and political parties, including major national and local coalitions, have been engaged in private discussions about possible electoral pacts.
The ruling eight-local party coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, is keen to continue working on an electoral pact with the four-party Sabah Pakatan in the coming election.
However, GRS has not shown interest in working with Sabah Barisan, led by Sabah Umno chairman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, who is also not keen to work with GRS after their political fallout in January 2023.
GRS and its party leaders have yet to reach a consensus on seat allocations and have been postponing their meetings, according to party sources.
Some leaders within GRS, such as Sabah STAR president Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Usno president Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia, and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee, prefer that the local coalition contest independently in the election.
