Former nominated assemblyman Ronnie Loh, previously of DAP and then Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM), said he was ready to lead PBK’s Sabah chapter “if Sabahans want” the party there.

“If the people want PBK to be brought to Sabah to face the upcoming election, I am ready to (lead the chapter),” he said, according to The Borneo Post.

Sacked from DAP in 2020, Loh later became one of KDM’s founding members and served as a vice-president before quitting in November 2023.

PBK president Voon Lee Shan said he had gone to Sabah multiple times to assess its political climate. He claimed that many Sabahans had expressed a desire to see the Bornean state attain independence.

“They believe that the formation of Malaysia was not done in the right way because no referendum was held to obtain the consent of the people,” he was quoted as saying.

PBK has been a constant proponent of Sarawak independence, with its leaders summoned by police in the past over videos discussing the topic.

The party has no state or parliamentary seats.