Parti Anak Negeri open for talks — Henrynus
RANAU: Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri President Datuk Henrynus Amin confirmed that his party is willing to cooperate with other opposition political parties to ensure opposition victory in the forthcoming 14th general election (GE14) scheduled to be held next year.
He said the party was open to any possible understanding or cooperation with other opposition leaders in Sabah to topple the present Barisan Nasional administration and bring genuine changes to the state.
“We are willing and ready to sit down with leaders of opposition political parties if necessary,” he said during the official launching of party’s Ranau P179 election and campaign operation centre here over the weekend.
Henrynus said Parti Anak Negeri subscribes to the idea that DAP should concentrate on Chinese dominated constituencies while other opposition parties like Parti Warisan Sabah focus on coastal areas amongst other.
“Parti Anak Negeri will not necessarily contest in all the areas the party has set up branches as we will evaluate the people’s response to the party’s struggle and leadership when choosing our winnable constituencies,” he said.
In essence, Henrynus said the party would only contest if there was a realistic support and opportunity to win in certain areas.
In general, he said Parti Anak Negeri would be active and focus its activities on 25 Momogun majority state seats and 10 mixed state seats where Momogun voters constitute between 30% to 50% of the total voters.
“We are also open to discuss cooperation with other Momogun-based opposition political parties in order to consolidate opposition strength in Momogun seats,” he said.
Henrynus also reiterated that Parti Anak Negeri’s political struggle draws public attention as it was simple and focused on five sensible, touching and realistic issues that were achievable.
He said the party was fighting for unity of the people of Sabah under the banner of Anak Negeri which includes Chinese who were born in Sabah.
Parti Anak Negeri also fights for the principles of freedom of religious based on the assurances of the Keningau Oath stone.
The party supports the creation of Sabah identity cards for all Malaysians born in Sabah and those who are permanent residents as means to filter out genuine or fake citizens in Sabah.
He said the party strongly advocated the right of ownership and development of NCR land and wanted to put a stop to native customary rights (NCR) land grab by illegal syndicates.
Finally, he said Parti Anak Negeri was fighting for the full implementation of the Malaysian Agreement 1963 to remove the last remaining vestiges of colonial policies in state-federal relation.
Meanwhile, Henrynus revealed that Parti Anak Negeri had set up branches in 10 parliamentary areas in the state and five new branches.
“We have also identified and appointed our key leaders to actively lead, build and organize party election machinery in 15 constituencies,” he stressed.
The Saturday ceremony in Ranau was successfully organised by its deputy head coordinator Juhaili Sidek and the Sarurday function was attended by more than 320 village leaders from 53 areas, including those from N29 Kundasang, N30 and N31.
Meanwhile, Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri treasurer Thomas Tsen said the party’s ‘open door’ policy for any understanding with leaders of other opposition parties for possible cooperation in toppling the BN candidates in the 14th general election was practical and logical.
In fact, he said there was more to gain if the opposition parties would gang up together to topple the ruling administration.
“A straight fight with the BN candidates will surely give better prospect of victory for the opposition, especially now that the Sabahans are clamouring for a genuine change,” he said.
Thomas said the top leaders of Parti Anak Negeri as well as its supporters and friends succumbed to the idea that DAP should concentrate on Chinese dominated areas while other opposition parties like Parti Warisan Sabah should focus on coastal areas.
Listening to the clamour of the Sabahans, Thomas, who is also the party’s Kudat chief, reiterated the best way to outsmart BN candidates during the election was by opposition candidates facing them one-onone.
He said said people in Kudat, particularly its supporters and friends, truly understand the logic on the need for the opposition candidates to be united in the coming election.
Thomas claimed that Parti Anak Negeri in Kudat was steadily gaining momentun based on the rising number of people pledging support to the party.
“We continue to go down to the grassroots and explain to the people the political struggle of Parti Anak Negeri which is simple, touching and realitic issues that are achievable,” he said, adding that he was overwhelmed with the response he is getting from the community in Kudat.