Sabah PKR information chief Razeef Rakimin was responding to Sabah Umno election director Jeffery Nor Mohamed, who yesterday urged PH to clarify its position on working with Barisan Nasional (BN) for the state election this year.

He said there was no need for Jeffery to be hasty or meddle in PH’s internal affairs.

“As an election director, Jeffery should understand the seat negotiation process. The first step involves discussions among coalition (PH) parties, followed by negotiations with other strategic partners.

“In this matter, the negotiations begin within PH component parties. Once a consensus is reached, discussions with others will proceed, whether with Umno or Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS),” he said in a statement.

He also said that Jeffery should focus on his own party and be well-prepared before approaching PH for talks to collaborate.

Jeffery yesterday said that PH should clarify its position on collaboration after remarks by several Sabah PKR leaders which he described as disrespectful to the relationship between the two coalitions.

He said if Sabah PH believed there was no need to consult BN on seats, it should be upfront about its intended relationship with the state BN chapter.

He was reportedly responding to Razeef warning other parties against riding on his party’s work in Tanjung Aru by contesting the seat being eyed by PKR.

BN and GRS, the ruling state coalition, are both courting PH for an alliance in the state election this year.

In November, Sabah BN and PH leaders informally agreed to set up open communication channels to improve their partnership. However, the coalitions also said that they were open to collaborating with others in preparation for the state polls.