Acknowledging that “not everybody will be happy” with such a deal, she said there was consensus among the PH and Warisan leaders and members that they shared the same objective of wanting to change the government.
Liew, the Sabah PKR chairman and Api Api assemblywoman, said she sensed a mood for change among town folk as well as people in rural areas.
“I have gone to areas like Kudat, Pitas and Kadamaian and the people there want to see change,” she said after a walkabout in the downtown area here to distribute invitations to PH’s inaugural Chinese New Year open house in Penampang near here on Feb 28.
Accompanying her was Sabah DAP secretary Chan Foong Hin, the Sri Tanjong assemblyman.
The Sabah PH is made up of PKR, DAP and Amanah.
Asked whether waiting till just before nomination day to finalise the seat deal might be “too late,” Liew said: “All of us have been working on the ground.”
Asked about the potential problems in the seat negotiations, including the fact that two assemblymen from PKR and another from DAP are now in Warisan, Liew said the situation is not as “sticky” as some perceive.
“We need to be logical on how we approach it and I’m confident a spirit of give and take will prevail,” she said.
Liew said PH and Warisan leaders also would have to look at things like seat swapping in their negotiations.
Penampang MP Darell Leiking and Moyog assemblyman Terence Siambun had won their seats on a PKR ticket but later switched their political allegiance to Warisan where they are now deputy president and treasurer respectively.
Likas assemblyman Junz Wong won his seat on the DAP banner but similarly switched to Warisan where he is now its vice-president.
Meanwhile, responding to a statement by Sabah MCA deputy chief Francis Goh, who appealed to voters in the Kepayan state constituency to make their choice based on the candidate, Chan said this indicated Goh’s lack of confidence in his own party and Barisan Nasional (BN).
Goh, a property developer, is widely expected to be the BN candidate for Kepayan which, along with Moyog, make up the two state seats within the Penampang parliamentary constituency.
Liew hoped voters would not make their decision just because a candidate was a friend or a relative.
“If they want change for their children and grandchildren’s future they have to look to the parties that will make that change,” she said.
Sabah DAP, Warisan move to calm tempers over seat distribution