KOTA KINABALU: Any electoral alliance for the upcoming state election must be led by Sabahans, says Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun.
Speaking on the second day of Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat)’s annual general meeting on Saturday (July 26), the party's deputy president stressed that any electoral cooperation must not be steered by outside forces, as the priority should be to safeguard the interests and welfare of Sabahans.
“We want allies on our own terms. We don’t want to be dictated to by others,” he said in his address at the opening of the party’s Youth, Wanita and Beliawanis annual assembly in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday.
His speech, delivered at the launch of the party’s three wings, is seen as setting the tone for the dominant party position on electoral pacts for the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition led by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Echoing the party’s slogan “Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga,” Masidi, who is also GRS secretary-general, said development in Sabah should be based on local priorities.
“We want Sabah to progress according to its own development model, not because someone else tells us to do it one way or another. That’s not acceptable to us. We want Sabahans to take charge,” he told more than 1,000 delegates from the party's wings.
He pushed on the importance of local leadership in realising Sabahans’ aspirations, warning against ceding control to external players.
“What will happen to all the Sabahans? What will happen to our local aspirations, the very foundation of Sabah? Can Sabahans still call the shots? We must fight for ourselves,” he said, urging Sabahans to stay in control of their future.
“We want to remain Sabahans with our own mindset. That’s why we focus on local parties, to liberate our thinking. Sabah First," he said.
Masidi said Sabah’s progress had been hindered by excessive politicking, with the state having gone through 16 chief ministers since gaining independence through Malaysia in 1963, compared to only six in Sarawak, which enjoyed greater political stability.
“Our problem is there’s too much ego among leaders. Everyone wants to win, everyone wants to lead, but few want to do the actual work,” he said, adding that the zero-sum game mindset, where the winner takes all, makes unity difficult to achieve.
