Sabah PKR set for shake-up
More manoeuvring in state party expected after Leiking decides to exit
KOTA KINABALU: A decision by PKR vicepresident Darell Leiking to quit the party is setting the stage for another bruising round of political manoeuvring in Sabah PKR which has a history of upheavals.
Though the Penampang MP tried to keep his polite exit under wraps as he aligned himself with Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal’s new Sabahbased opposition party, Sabah PKR is set to see fresh movements out of the party amid perception that a locallybased opposition would be the better choice to address state issues.
Already there are signs that the party’s Moyog assemblyman Terrence Siambun and at least two other assemblymen may move towards Shafie’s takeover of an existing shell party registered in 2013.
“We will have to wait and see,” said Sabah PKR deputy chairman Christina Liew, the ApiApi assemblyman, who declined to comment further amid the latest developments in the party which has been beset by tumultuous resignations in its two decades in the state.
Senior leaders, including Sabah PKR chief Datuk Lajim Ukin, are also assessing the developments as internal chatter of more defections to come, as early as next week.
Lajim, who has denied quit rumours on several occasions, has also been vociferous with the PKR central leadership over its promise of more autonomy for Sabah PKR.
Despite the civil manner of the departures, PKR insiders said these would severely impact the national PKR – and to a certain extent, DAP – in the coming general election as Shafie might be changing the face of the opposition back to local Sabah politics.
Insiders said they did not know how or what deals had been made or were going to be made in the event a locallybased coalition of opposition parties materialises as it would impact PKR and DAP.
Shafie has not yet shown his political cards but has been open about working with all opposition parties against Sabah Barisan Nasional led by Sabah Umno, which is headed by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman.
The political talk is that Shafie has been in contact with the Sabahbased opposition coalition United Sabah Alliance (USA) comprising STAR Sabah led by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Parti Cinta Sabah led by Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, and Sabah Progressive Party led by former
We will have to wait and see. Christina Liew
chief minister Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
USA has been asking DAP and PKR to concentrate on peninsular Malaysia and at the same time, leave Sabah opposition parties to take on Barisan here.
In the 2013 general election, Sabah PKR scored a major breakthrough in the state, winning seven of the 60 state seats and one of the 25 parliamentary seats.
But they lost three assemblymen – Jeremy Majalad (Kadamaian) and Jelani Hamdan (Matunggong) within the year – while Bumburing, the Tamparuli assemblyman (a nongovernmental organisation member who won on a PKR ticket), stayed away from PKR to eventually take over Parti Cinta Sabah earlier this year.