KUALA LUMPUR: The recent statement from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah, denying the accusation that they are obstructing the cooperation between Parti Warisan and UMNO for the upcoming 17th State Election (PRN17), has been described as unusual.
Sabah UMNO election director Jeffrey Nor Mohamed said that it is generally known that Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) leans more towards the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
However, he said this statement highlights the importance of political strategy.
Jeffrey Nor mentioned that PKR is likely considering how to secure seats and win in PRN17.
“We all know that the sentiment of ‘Sabah for Sabahans’ and ‘local party first’ will be used by opponents during the PRN17 campaign in Sabah.
“This sentiment may be sensitive to the people of Sabah this time… But we must understand that we are also thinking of similar strategies that are both local and national in nature,” he said in a statement today.
Jeffrey Nor responded to media claims that PKR Sabah labelled the accusation of being a barrier to the Warisan-UMNO cooperation as baseless.
In the statement, PKR Sabah clarified that this is untrue and is a fabrication by certain parties to create discord among the unity government, as Warisan is also part of the federal government.
Jeffrey Nor, who is the Putatan UMNO chief, emphasised that the mix of local and national parties is crucial in political strategy.
“Of course, we will definitely consider which local party is strong enough for us to join forces, making collaboration easier and more trustworthy.
“It doesn’t matter if we’ve been opponents in the past; now we can be friends for the sake of the people of Sabah as a whole.
“Clearly, having a solid political strategy to win in PRN17 is crucial and should be a top priority,” explained Jeffrey Nor.
He believes that PKR’s statement is interesting and suggests that there may be shared thoughts with what UMNO Sabah is currently considering.
“We certainly want to govern Sabah again, as mentioned by our party president at the UMNO General Assembly (PAU) 2024.
“We are confident that Savah UMNO’s leadership is starting to think about effective strategies to regain dominance in Sabah with a more focused approach after PRN17.
“I personally support PKR’s statement and believe it reflects their genuine intentions,” said Jeffrey Nor.
