PKR division chiefs ask Sabah liaison chairman to step down
KOTA KINABALU: Fifteen Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) division chiefs have called for the removal of the party’s state liaison chairman Datuk Dr Sangkar Rasam.
Spokesperson for the group, Sazalye Donol Abdullah, said the 15 division chiefs included Datuk Mustapha Sakmud (Kota Belud), Datuk Christina Liew (Kota Kinabalu) and Peto Galim (Sepanggar).
The others are Sazalye himself (Kota Marudu), Razeef Rakimin (Tuaran), Raymond Ahuar (Pensiangan), Wendey Agong (Sipitang), Dikin Musah (Beaufort), Basran Omar (Beluran), Azmi Tambuyong (Kinabatangan), Roslee Malek (Papar), Awang Chuchu (Kimanis), Roslan Sapar (Kalabakan), Aris Remigus (Batu Sapi) and Amin Mem (Semporna).
Eleven of them were present at a press conference on Monday. Those absent were Mustapha, Christina, Peto and Amin.
According to Sazalye, all 15 have signed statutory declarations which stated that they rejected Sangkar’s leadership and the documents have been submitted to PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for further action.
“The statutory declarations were signed in the middle of last year but we only handed it over to Anwar’s Political Secretary at the end of the year. We believe that Anwar is aware of the matter and we hope he will listen to our request,” he said.
When asked why it took so long for the group to make public their call for Sangkar’s removal, Sazalye said it was because they had hoped that the former would resign on his own accord.
“He was appointed as PKR Sabah liaison chairman in August 2022 but he failed to conduct any programs to strengthen the party ... no strategic training, leadership training, public speaking training, or even training for the election.
“All he did was to organise ‘makan-makan’ to welcome PKR central leaders when they visited Sabah. He is also not well known among party members and does not command the majority trust from the party’s grassroots.
“His failure has also resulted in other parties in Pakatan Harapan and the Unity Government looking down on PKR,” he lamented.
Sazalye also revealed that at a state PKR leadership council meeting on Sunday, the discontented branch leaders had voiced out their feelings to Sangkar and requested that he step down as the state liaison chairman, where they staged a walkout after highlighting his failures at the meeting.
Sangkar, he said, declined causing the 15 of them to walk out of the meeting.
Sazalye added that they have submitted the name of the person thay feel is the best candidate to replace Sangkar to PKR’s central leadership but declined to reveal the name to the media.
“All I can say that the individual is a Yang Berhormat (elected representative),” he said and also declined to reveal whether the individual is a male or female.
To the question if the person was Mustapha, Sazalye replied that the possibility cannot be ruled out as there are three Yang Berhormat in the group.
“We need a leader who can collaborate with other leaders in the state otherwise PKR Sabah will be left out from being part of the state’s progress and development. We also want the matter to be resolved as soon as possible because we need to prepare for the coming state election,” he stressed.
“The final decision is in the hands of PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar. We unanimously call on Datuk Seri Anwar to resolve this issue by replacing Sangkar for the sake of PKR Sabah,” he said.
When questioned about the potential conflict with Anwar’s decisions, Sazalye stressed that their action was not intended to challenge the president’s authority but to ensure the party’s welfare.
He was also asked about speculations that former Sabah chief minister Tan Sri Musa Aman or former foreign minister Tan Sri Anifah Aman were tipped to be appointed as PKR Sabah liaison chairman.
“That is speculation but we would not oppose any choice made by the party president.
Sazalye added that PKR Sabah has 26 divisions, including Labuan Federal Territory,” he said.