KOTA KINABALU: Perikatan Nasional is expected to contest 40 of the 73 state seats in the coming Sabah election, says Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
He said Perikatan is expected to make the official announcement on Nov 11.
“All candidate names are being carefully vetted before we confirm,” he told the media after launching the Perikatan election machinery for the Karambunai state seat here.
Sabah PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Aliakbar Gulasan, who is the likely candidate for PAS in Karambunai, were among those present at the event.
Tuan Ibrahim said the party would be focusing on cooperation among its component parties before considering any collaboration with other parties.
“What’s important now is to win under the Perikatan banner. As for coalitions with other parties, we’re not thinking about that yet,” he said.
Regarding the “Sabah for Sabahan” sentiment promoted by local Sabah parties, Tuan Ibrahim described it as a common slogan, similar to “Bangsa Johor” in Johor and “Gagasan Terengganu Kita” in Terengganu.
He said such sentiments would not affect Sabahans’ support for national parties, especially Perikatan, given the long-standing presence of national parties in the state.
“The ‘Sabah for Sabahan’ sentiment doesn’t mean rejecting outside parties. It’s not something that only happens in Sabah. Just like Johor and Terengganu, these are state-based sentiments.
“Sabah’s political context has always been dynamic and open. That’s why we’re confident that voters will choose Perikatan, because even if the party president is from Peninsular Malaysia, the entire Perikatan Sabah leadership consists of Sabahans,” he said.
PAS has not won an elected seat in Sabah, but it was given its first nominated assembly seat in 2020.
