Warisan gets seat ultimatum

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Pakatan Harapan (PH) has offered Parti Warisan Sabah 60 percent of the state seats to be contested in the 14th General Election.

At the same time, Warisan must allow Pakatan to contest 60 percent of the parliamentary seats, Sabah PH deputy chairman Stephen Wong said yesterday.

"We will give 60 percent to them (Warisan). This is the best we can offer," he said at a press conference yesterday.

Stephen explained that under the formula, Pakatan will allow Warisan 60 percent of the state seats but at the same time, Warisan must allow Pakatan to contest 60 percent of the parliamentary seats.

"We are positive. This could work ... it means we realise their role in leading the state. No problem," he said.

He added that he had yet to meet Warisan president Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal to negotiate on the matter.

Stephen also said Sabah PH would support Shafie to become the Chief Minister if the State Barisan Nasional is defeated in the election.

"We are very optimistic ... it is the best formula to come up with. With 60 percent, there will be more chances for him to win ... we support him as the Chief Minister. It is a good deal," he said.

Meanwhile, Warisan deputy president Darell Leiking has expressed surprise that Sabah Pakatan Harapan opted to use the media to make its "offer" rather than going directly to the party leaders.

Leiking said he was assuming the 'offer' had been discussed at their Pakatan Harapan's meeting on Tuesday night with their director of elections and Parti Bersatu Pribumi deputy president Tan Sri Muhiyiddin Yassin.

"What surprises me, in fact, is that usually such an offer is first discussed on an eye-to-eye basis between PH and Warisan and not universally announced, before any official offer, in the media and more so by just a deputy of the Pakatan Harapan Sabah," he said.

Leiking said that as a non-race based but "Sabah-based" political party, Warisan, although not privy yet to the offer, was indeed glad that the "offer" made by Pakatan Harapan indicates 60 per cent of all seats in Sabah which inter alia includes the urban/semi-urban and Chinese majority seats which they were made to understand are monopolised by DAP in their seat arrangements within PH.

"The open hearted offer by PH through DAP chairman Stephen Wong of 60 per cent of all seats in Sabah surely indeed includes Chinese and urban seats (since it is computed from a Sabah State seats perspective) is indeed welcomed by Warisan, a truly Sabah-based party," he added.

As the elections are very near, Leiking, who said he rarely touched on issues pertaining to non-concluded seat negotiations, reiterated the need for Pakatan Harapan leaders to assess the issue in relation to seat distributions in Sabah objectively and practically for a successful two-thirds majority win in the upcoming state and general elections.

"First and foremost, Pakatan leaders must understand that Warisan is aiming for a two-thirds majority of the State Assembly because only such win allows the motion to activate Article 8 on Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) be successfully tabled at the State Assembly as well as to govern Sabah firmly and without any obstacles."

"Having had said that, Sabah must also be represented by parliamentarians from the Sabah-based political parties who will not be confined to any political restraints when it comes to asserting Sabah's rights as an equal founding partner of the Federation of Malaysia," he said.

Commenting on Stephen's ultimatum to Warisan to accept the 60 per cent State seats and 40 per cent parliamentary seats offered by Pakatan Harapan through the DAP State chairman, Leiking said he was also curious if it was DAP's own stance or PH's overall as they had yet to see the "offer" to date.

"Firstly, I personally do not think that issuing such ultimatum is wise or conducive for the opposition bloc in Sabah more so as we, in Warisan, have yet to see the 'offer' and secondly, because when we talk about seat negotiation, we need to consider multiple factors such as the personality traits of the local leader of the party eyeing a particular seat, the party's machinery and political activities on the ground and reception by the people at those areas before coming with a conclusive decision."

“In Warisan, and contrary to what the race-based parties have tried to narrate to us, Warisan is a party of all Sabahans from every district in Sabah, multi-ethnic, from all creeds and walks of life and on that premise, we have our rationale as to how some seats are best allotted between us.

“PH’s leaders should realize that the entire purpose of seat negotiations is not only to secure the most number of seats but to have a rational discussion based on various social and political factors to eventually come to a collective decision as to who gets which seats based on the political reality of Sabah,” he stressed.

“For one, among the discussions that we should look into is that it would not make any political and even rational sense at all if DAP/PH wants Warisan to concentrate only on the east coast of Sabah or only in Muslim Native majority seats when in fact Warisan has all Sabahans from all ethnicity and creed in its political hierachy and movement.”

Leiking, however, agrees that an electoral pact between Warisan and PH for the upcoming election is vital for a political collaboration in the event of a regime change and it would have been a matter of courtesy if Pakatan Harapan had discussed their ‘offer’ (which we now understand may have been mooted on Tuesday night at their PH meeting) to Warisan first before issuing an ultimatum.

“Based on a news statement, we also understand that DAP had already announced that they will be contesting 12 State seats (we wonder if this is included the 60%) and this seat quantum (12) certainly cannot guarantee the actual activation of Article 8 of the MA63. Thus we know that the actual implementation and activation of the MA63 is indeed far from their mind.”

Leiking said he knows his old colleagues at Keadilan Sabah are all eager and keen not only to be an elected representative but the government of Sabah and to contribute to a national win with Warisan as he knows their commitment and spirit to activate the MA63 is the same as ours and since the bulk of PH’s Sabah seats would certainly come from Keadilan, their resolve, manner and method on leading PH is indeed respected by him and saluted by all at Warisan.

Meanwhile, Leiking hoped the Sabah Pakatan Harapan chairperson Christina Liew can verify if what her deputy had issued was genuine or otherwise and that there are no malicious intent on PH’s part to openly issue an ultimatum to Warisan.

“Some may easily manipulate the open ultimatum to imply or narrate that Warisan is a greedy partner despite the ‘offer’ and asking Warisan to lead the Opposition.”

“Personally, I have much trust and respect for the chairperson’s (Christina Liew) wisdom as she has shown to be sincere and strategic in her political stance and will await her statement accordingly.”

“If Umno and PAS can work together on implementing the amendment of the RUU355, then why can’t Warisan and Keadilan do it for the Malaysia Agreement 1963?” he concluded.