Untested parties in the fray
It’s not overcrowding as everyone has the right to contest, says analyst
PETALING JAYA: Sabah is set to see candidates from numerous new political parties – many relatively unknown and untested – file their nomination papers for the general election today.
Political parties like Parti Warisan Sabah, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah, Parti Kebangsaan Sabah and many others are set to compete in the race.
Some aspiring and eccentric individuals as well as disgruntled politicians will also make up the list of Independents.
Although a record of 1,262 nomination forms have been sold by the Election Commission in Sabah, political analyst Rita Sim does not think all the forms will be fully used.
“But Sabah will definitely see a bigger number of candidates contesting in this election,” she said.
Out of these 1,262 forms, 383 are for parliamentary seats and 879 for state seats.
Sabah has 60 state seats and 26 parliamentary seats up for grab.
“Going by the number of forms taken, some seats are expected to see as many as 10-cornered fights,” said Sim.
Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said anyone with a registered party could take part in the election.
“This is part of the democratic process.
“The question of overcrowding does not arise. They have every right to contest,” he said.
The fight on the opposition front in Sabah has been generally categorised into three groups.
The main group is Gabungan Sabah – a coalition of Sabah STAR, Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) and Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah (PPRS).
Sabah STAR became a full-fledged Sabah-based political party under the name Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku two years ago.
Originally, it was the Sabah Chapter of the Sarawak State Reform Party while PHRS was formed about 18 months ago by Lajim Ukin after he left Umno. PPRS was set up about a year ago.
Gabungan Sabah is contesting in all 25 parliamentary and 60 state seats.
Next is the collaboration between Warisan, a party led by former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal and Pakatan Harapan.
Political analyst Prof Dr Sivamurugan Pandian from Universiti Sains Malaysia said Warisan, which came to the forefront slightly over a year ago, had the edge in some of Sabah’s east coast seats.
The third force is Parti Kebangsaan Sabah (PKS). Although the party was formed in 2013, it was not launched until 2015 by its president Thomas Anggan, former Bingkor assemblyman in the mid1980s.
The party has been dormant over the years but recently sprang a surprise by announcing that it would contest in all parliamentary and state seats in Sabah.
Prof Sivamurugan said while PKS could be a spoiler in a fight between Barisan Nasional and Warisan, the real fight in Sabah was between Warisan and Barisan.
“It is a fight between Shafie and Musa Aman,” he said.
In Peninsular Malaysia, Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan) and Parti Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa) would be contesting in two parliamentary seats and five state seats in Selangor.
Ikatan will contest in Subang Jaya, Bukit Gasing, Ijok, Pandamaran and Kinrara state seats and in the Subang parliamentary seat.
Berjasa will contest the Selayang parliamentary seat.
Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) will also field two candidates.
Its deputy president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan will contest the Bagan parliamentary seat while party member R. Manikandan will be fielded in the Air Putih state seat.