Comprising five individuals, including former Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) deputy president Melanie Chia, the ICA said it would vie for seats in the state capital, namely Inanam, Likas, Api-Api, Luyang and Tanjung Aru.
Chia, who quit SAPP late last month, citing differences in opinion, said the political events that unfolded at the end of July, leading to the dissolution of the state assembly, had given rise to uncertainty and was unsettling for the majority of the people.
She said it had caused many to feel disappointed and disillusioned with the democratic process and many had expressed their desire to sit out the polls on Sept 26.
“Rather than giving up our rights, we have a responsibility to Sabah and, therefore, offer ourselves as an option to the voters.”
Apart from Chia, who will be contesting the Likas seat, the others are Achmad Noorasyrul Noortaip, Sim Sie Hong, Chin Ling Ling and Jan Chow Yee Fah, who will be vying for the Inanam, Api-Api, Luyang and Tanjung Aru seats, respectively.
Achmad, 33, is a local entrepreneur, Sim, 55, an architect, Chin, 49, an accountant, and Chow, 42, a social care project manager.
Chia said if the five of them won their seats, they were open to linking up with another party or coalition to form the state government.
“But we don’t need to join the party, it’s not necessary. If we are needed for the numbers to form the government, we will consider, but only if the party’s stand is in line with ours,” she said.
“We have pledged to be steadfast in our status. We hope this pledge will resonate with other independent candidates around Sabah.
“As independents, we are answerable only to our voters. We can fully focus on our respective constituencies and our voters as we do not need to spend time on party politicking.”
Achmad, who runs a motorcycle e-hailing ride service, said he wanted to be the voice of the young people, especially in having the courage to contest in the election.
“Even if I don’t become an elected representative, I will continue to urge the younger generation to go into politics. But I can do so much more if I get elected,” he said.
Sim, a former Sabah Malaysian Architects Association president, said political parties were not the only answer to continued development.
“Many politicians are given posts (in government) but they do not know what to do. The important thing is getting the right people in the right job,” he said.
Chin believes it is time to bring new leaders into state politics and governance instead of “recycling” the same old faces.
“We need new faces, new people who are of high quality,” she said.
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram