BN, opposition ready for polls after CNY
KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional (BN) component members and the opposition in Sabah are ready for the 14th general election (GE14) if it is held after the Chinese New Year (CNY).
Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) vice president Datuk Chin Shu Ying said LDP had been preparing for the GE14 long ago and the party could activate its election machinery anytime.
“The GE14 will definitely be held after Chinese New Year (CNY), but we do not know when exactly between March and June next year,” he said.
Chin, who is also LDP Likas Division chairman, said this when asked to comment on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's hint that the next general election would likely be held within days after the Chinese New Year next year.
As for the party's candidates, he said the name list had been submitted for early vetting. Nonetheless, Chin said the candidates could only be finalized and confirmed after the GE14 date is announced.
“A lot can change in a few months. A suitable candidate now may not be suitable when the election comes,” he said.
Keningau MCA chief Kapitan Jack Chin said BN leaders have to now work much harder after Zahid hinted that the GE14 may be held after the Chinese New Year next year. Jack said BN leaders need to work harder and use a sincere new approach to win the hearts of the people.
“This GE14 is expected to be more intense with the emergence of several parties and can undermine BN's position. In this regard, all BN leaders need to unite and work together to address the issues raised by the opposition,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Jack said BN leaders have to go down to the ground to tell the people about the policies of the government so that they can put their trust in BN.
“Party leaders in BN component parties should work together and give solid support to get BN candidates elected in GE14,” he said, adding that Keningau MCA is ready to face GE14.
Political secretary to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, Welfredoline Jakil, said the date of GE14 is not important because all BN component parties in the state are already prepared with their respective election machinery.
“What is important, besides proper preparation, is for all issues to be settled, including the RCI report to inform the people, before GE14,” said Welfredoline, who is also Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Tambunan division treasurer.
Meanwhile, Central UPKO supreme council member Haji Suip Saniman felt strongly that the BN leadership should look into the qualities of leaders to be nominated as BN candidates for GE14. He said suitable candidates must be from BN component parties, with integrity and academic qualifications from a university, and have served in the public service and with a certain amount of expertise and experience as a leader.
“The candidate possessing all of the above criteria should be capable of serving the people. The candidate's historical background must also be taken into account while making it a priority to introduce new faces in GE14,” he said.
Suip, who is also co-chairman of UPKO religious and harmony bureau, said having new faces as candidate is because of the high potential of winning compared to an ‘orang lama'.
He said the performance factor meant that candidates who lost in the last election, including former ‘YBs', should not be renominated as candidates in GE14.
The justification to relate to performance factor is to provide opportunity for new faces that have the advantage and potential to win in the election.
“If BN component parties have potential candidates, then there should be no issue and the people should be encouraged to support the winnable candidates,” he said.
Former Keningau Umno vice chief Mohd Amir Datuk Arif said the selection of candidates, especially for parliamentary seats, should be those who have the ability to speak up, debate, firm and bold in highlighting important issues affecting the people in the state.
He also said that members of parliament from Sabah should be united in one heart and soul on all matters pertaining to the State's interests and its people.
“All Sabahan members of parliaments elected in GE14, whether from the BN or the opposition, should consult one another and talk in one voice on important issues relating to the State and its people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan (PH) Sabah is not surprised with the statement by the Deputy Prime Minister.
Keningau DAP chairman Peter Saili said PH Sabah had already expected the GE14 to be held as early as after the Chinese New Year or at least before August 2018.
“With the cooperation of PH Sabah (DAP, PKR and Amanah), negotiations on the allocation of seats that will be contested in the election have been settled, except for one or two seats.
“However, this is not a big problem and this matter will be fully settled in December,” he told The Borneo Post here yesterday.
Peter said PH Sabah was ready to face GE14 and the election machinery for every state assembly and parliamentary constituency were ready and were just waiting for the dissolution.
He also informed that DAP Sabah had been preparing for the election and even DAP had announced its candidates contesting in the state, including the N.33 Bingkor constituency.
Meanwhile, Tenom Parti Warisan Sabah information chief Ukim Buandi said Tenom Warisan was also ready to face GE14.
He said support of the people and voters in the Tenom parliamentary constituency, including the Kemabong and Melalap state constituencies were very encouraging, and they wanted change.
“People feel that they are burdened by the high cost of living with the rising prices of essential goods due to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
“The rising prices of essential items, and with commodity prices such as rubber and oil palm having declined and deteriorated, make the people dislike the government of today,” he said.
Ukim said the Tenom Warisan candidates for parliament and Kemabong and Melalap state constituencies were at the discretion of the party president, but what was important was that Tenom Warisan was well ready to face GE14.