Sabah PKR secretary Sazalye Donol Abdullah said the party is steadfast in its position of not wanting the PH chairman’s post to be given to Upko.

“Upko just recently joined Sabah PH, how can it be given the chairman’s post? If the party had been around longer, it would be different, but it is still new. DAP is still acceptable, but Upko is new.

“PKR does not want the PH chairman’s position to be given to Upko because it is a small party,” he told reporters after a meeting with the chief minister in Kota Kinabalu yesterday, Utusan Malaysia reported.

Sazalye said the issue of the Sabah PH chairmanship would be decided by the coalition’s central leadership.

He said that, traditionally, there has never been a selection process for the post as it is “reserved” for PKR.

Although Sabah DAP chief Phoong Jin Zhe previously said there is no quota for the selection of the state PH chairman, Sazalye said this was just Phoong’s personal view.

On a proposal to put the Sabah PH chairman’s post to a vote, Sazalye, who is also the Kota Marudu PKR chief, said: “According to party membership, PKR has the most members in Sabah. So, if the vote for the chairman must be held, it should be open to all members. It wouldn’t be fair if it’s restricted.”

Last month, FMT reported a Sabah PKR leader claiming that the PH chairmanship in the state rightfully belongs to the party, citing a formula that had been agreed on and adhered to by its components.

The PKR leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the post should have never been contested in the first place, adding that the election held earlier this month was the first time a poll was held since Sabah PH was formed in 2017.

Christina Liew was ousted as the Sabah PH chairman, a post she held since 2017, after losing to Ewon by three votes in the Dec 1 election.