Sabah DAP chief Phoong Jin Zhe said there have been no official discussions between his party and any political party concerning electoral cooperation.

“Informal meetings between political figures are common and should not be misconstrued,” he said in a statement.

Yesterday, Bung, who is Sabah BN chairman, was reported to have said that a decision had been reached to join forces with PH.

He added that the collaboration between his coalition and PH was finalised last year.

The Sabah Umno chief explained that unofficial talks had been held with Sabah PH leaders several times before official discussions took place.

Phoong said Sabah DAP viewed this development as being in line with values practised by the unity government.

“Any political collaboration must be founded on policies that contribute meaningfully to Sabah’s development, not merely for the sake of contesting elections.

“As such, Sabah DAP is open to engaging in discussions on policy matters that should be implemented for the future of Sabah, before formalising any kind of political alliance,” said Phoong, who is Luyang assemblyman.

He added that Sabah DAP has always maintained an open and constructive approach to political cooperation with any party – provided that the interests of the people of Sabah remain the top priority.

According to Phoong, Sabah PH’s position on electoral alliances in the state polls will be deliberated at the upcoming leadership meeting.

Bung had said that apart from PH, Sabah BN was open to working with other parties.

The Kinabatangan MP added that while Sabah BN would not close its doors to working with others, it would not join forces with local parties due to “specific issues”.

Bung, however, refused to identify which party he was referring to and was mum when asked if Warisan would also be working with PH and BN.