Sabah election: PKR concurs with decision to contest only seven seats - Anwar

PKR has concurred with and will abide by the decision made by Warisan Plus for the party to contest only seven seats in the Sabah state election, its president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.

"We call on all our members in Sabah and other states to accept the decision no matter how hard," he said in an interview with Bernama here today.

PKR is an ally of Warisan Plus, along with DAP, Amanah, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).

Anwar also wanted all the seven candidates to be fielded to represent PKR in the state to be the voices of the majority of the Sabah people.

"The party (PKR) has a great future and potential. Despite the uneasiness and disappointment felt at the grassroots when the decision on the seat allocation did not turn out the way we wanted it to be, we will abide by it so as to demonstrate understanding of unity," he said.

On PKR's chances to win and retain the seats in Sabah, Anwar said the party's responsibility was not only to ensure victory in the seven seats, but also to ensure victory in all seats contested by its allies in Warisan Plus.

He said he had convened discussions with all PKR Members of Parliament and state leaders in Sarawak and in the peninsula to assist the party's election machinery in Sabah.

"Yes (we can win)...we will try our level best to win," he said.

On the candidates, Anwar said they will comprise those with integrity, qualified and capable of winning the hearts of the people and not those who are easily 'bought' or without principle.

Prior to this, Sabah PKR information chief Simsudin Sidek announced that the party would contest 14 seats in the state election scheduled for the end of this month.

However, Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal yesterday announced that PKR would be allocated only seven seats - namely Api-Api which to be contested by Datuk Christina Liew Chin Jin, Inanam (Peto Galim), Tempasuk (Mustapha Sakmud), Tamparuli (Alijus Sipli), Matunggong (Sazalye Donol Abdullah), Klias (Abdul Rahman Md Yakub) and Sook (Raymond Ahuar).

Klias and Sook are the new seats allocated to PKR, while the other five were those won by the party in the last general election.

-- BERNAMA