TAWAU: Sabah DAP’s initiative to announce its intention to contest 20 state seats and eight parliamentary seats is just to state that it is ready and prepared for the next general election (GE14).

State DAP chairman Stephen Wong said other opposition parties should not be alarmed as DAP is only stating its wishes to contest in areas that the party had contested before and which it has “cultivated”.

“We are already prepared and we hope the other opposition parties can come to a consensus on seat allocation as at the moment, it is a bit loose,” he said in a statement after officiating the Tawau DAP mobilisation room at Fajar Complex, here yesterday.

Wong said opposition parties do not have resources like Barisan Nasional, thus it needs mutual agreement on seat allocation a lot sooner in order to focus on its resources before GE14.

On the opening of the Tawau DAP mobilisation room, which is the first for Sabah DAP, Wong said it is good idea that will spur other branches to be serious and work harder for the election. The mobilisation room will be open from 8.30am to 5.30pm to help voters check their voting area and also for receiving complaints.

Meanwhile, Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin said the party does not have any conflict with Pakatan Harapan members but is concerned over the slow process of seat negotiations with Parti Warisan Sabah.

Chan’s statement came after Warisan Youth chief Azis Jamman had told FMT that the party wants to focus on uniting the people under a common goal of toppling the ruling government first before it negotiates seats with other opposition parties.

Chan had earlier met Azis to express his party’s wish to deal with Warisan on the issue of seat allocation while respecting the principle that incumbent parties should defend their seats without any contest from other opposition parties.