Sabah party to be dissolved, members to join Bersatu

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan Rakyat) will hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) soon to dissolve the party and absorb its 64,000 members into Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu).

Harapan Rakyat president Datuk Lajim Ukin said all party branches in the state would automatically become Bersatu branches after the EGM.

He said it was better for the party, which was founded on Oct 25, 2016, to be sacrificed than to survive without being able to contribute to Sabah and the country.

“It wasn’t easy to decide to dissolve the party because we love the party. But we have to think about the future. There is no point if we cannot contribute. It’s better for us to make sacrifices for the sake of a better direction.”

He said this after chairing a Harapan Rakyat Supreme Council meeting yesterday. Present was his deputy, Datuk Maijol Mahap.

Lajim said dissolving the party was in line with its wish to contribute to the development of Sabah and the nation, as well as fulfil Sabahans’ aspirations.

“Foremost on our minds are the commitment and promises of the Pakatan Harapan government, which recognises Sabah and Sarawak as partners with the peninsula, and the restoration of the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

“We are confident that Parti Warisan Sabah, PKR, DAP, Parti Amanah Negara, Upko (United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation) and Bersatu can join hands in Sabah as the state is lagging in development.”

Lajim said his party would leave it to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is Bersatu chairman, to decide the best person to lead Bersatu in Sabah.

“We met Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor (former Sabah Umno chief) and agreed to cooperate in Bersatu,” he said, adding that Bersatu’s entry into Sabah would not affect other PH parties and Warisan as Bersatu would work with them and that Bersatu being an “outsider party” was a non-issue as Sabah folk needed a party from the peninsula to strengthen the Sabah government’s position.