Stay out of PH’s Sabah alliance deliberations, Umno man told

Stay out of PH’s Sabah alliance deliberations, Umno man told

Tuaran PKR chief Razeef Rakimin says Sabah Umno information chief Suhaimi Nasir has no right to dictate what PH should do.

PKR’s Razeef Rakimin tells Sabah Umno’s Suhaimi Nasir not to drag PH into a problem that Sabah BN started.
PETALING JAYA:
Sabah Umno’s Suhaimi Nasir has been told he has no right to demand that Pakatan Harapan declare its preference if both Barisan Nasional and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah vie for the same seat at the next state elections.

Tuaran PKR chief Razeef Rakimin called for Suhaimi to stay out of PH’s internal deliberations, adding that such decisions were the remit of PH’s top leadership.

He said PH had already made its position clear regarding cooperation at the state polls.

“PH has stated that it will work with GRS and BN, and I think PH has been consistent with that decision,” Razeef told FMT.

On Tuesday, Sabah Umno information chief Suhaimi was reported as saying that PH must make clear whether it would side with BN or GRS in the event of overlapping seat claims to avoid the matter becoming a source of friction.

He said PH had to be transparent as it was allied with both BN and GRS, despite the BN-GRS rivalry at state-level.

Razeef, however, said Suhaimi had no right to dictate what PH should do. “He should just focus on BN.”

Commenting on BN’s discord with GRS, Razeef said it was a problem of BN’s own making.

“The conflict between BN and GRS is their business. Don’t drag PH into a problem that BN’s hard-headed Sabah leaders started.”

Earlier this month, GRS chairman Hajiji Noor said the coalition would continue working with PH in the state polls, after BN and Sabah Umno snubbed a partnership.

PH, BN and GRS are allies at the federal level, but BN is in the opposition in Sabah.

On Saturday, BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the coalition was not looking to field candidates in every one of the state’s 73 seats.

The current Sabah assembly’s term expires on Nov 11, unless dissolved earlier. A state election must be held within 60 days of the expiry or dissolution date.

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