State DAP chairman Phoong Jin Zhe said PH-BN’s chief ministerial candidate must be a person who is capable of attracting voters and supports the formation of a unity state government that serves the people.
Phoong said it would be premature for any party leader in BN or PH to nominate a “poster boy” even before discussions have commenced.
“Let’s sit down and talk first. Let’s not jump the gun. Anyone can be a poster boy. But what matters is who can attract the most voters, offer stability and deliver reforms that Sabahans want,” he told FMT.
“We should have more internal discussions and fewer statements,” he said.
Phoong, a minister in Hajiji Noor’s state Cabinet, said PH had its own pool of candidates capable of assuming the state’s top post.
However, he said discussions should be focused on building consensus rather than staking claims, pushing certain figures forward or squabbling for seats.
“We need to sort out our differences and agree on what we want to achieve. We need to ask ourselves: What do Sabahans want? They want reforms, a solid manifesto and real progress,” he said.
The secretariat of the unity government coalition had earlier announced that PH and BN had agreed to work together for the Sabah polls, following a meeting between their respective chairmen, Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Last week, Sabah Umno proposed that its chief, Bung Moktar Radin, be named BN’s poster boy for the state elections, due this year. However, BN chairman Zahid played down the proposal as being premature.
Keeping the door open for GRS
Sabah PH is currently in an alliance with the state ruling coalition Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and has kept the door open to maintaining the alliance.
Phoong said Sabah PH was comfortable working with BN and any other political party, as long as the priority was forming a stable and inclusive administration.
“Right now, it is BN and PH working together, but we are open to collaborating with any party to form a unity state government. Our goal is long-term development and investment. That requires more internal discussion and fewer public statements,” he added.
GRS and PH are allies in the Sabah government, while BN sits as the opposition in the state assembly together with Warisan. However, all four parties are coalition allies in the federal government.
In January 2023, Sabah BN almost toppled the GRS-led state government after it withdrew support for Hajiji as chief minister. Hajiji was able to hang on to his position with the support of Sabah PH.
The chief minister, for his part, has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to continue the existing GRS-PH alliance.