Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah ready to assist GRS candidate

TAWAU: Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat) is prepared to help Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate in the campaign to capture the Tawau Parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15).

Its president, Tan Sri Liew Yun Fah said the principle of Harapan Rakyat remains being ready to contest in GE15 if given the chance by GRS leadership but it will not fight for the seat and will instead assist the coalition's candidate if not selected.

"If we are not given the opportunity (to contest) we will still help because we (the party) want to see immediate change in Tawau. Development is slower than before, changing government creates more problems, so we want (the government) to be strong, then Tawau will have more sustainable development.

"For me, GRS has strong consensus and unity. Although we (Harapan Rakyat) don't have a seat, we can always raise problems to the leadership (GRS) and are always taken seriously, so I think (competing) is not a matter of interest," he told reporters after inaugurating the 'Kita Bersama Permafakatan' Parent-Teacher Programme here today.

In the 14th general election, the Tawau Parliamentary seat was won by Datuk Christina Liew on the PKR ticket with a majority of 4,727 votes in a four-cornered fight.

GRS is made up of Bersatu Sabah, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and United Sabah National Organisation (USNO) which cooperates with Barisan Nasional to govern Sabah.

Besides Harapan Rakyat, GRS-friendly parties consist of Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS).

-- BERNAMA