Yesterday, Utusan Malaysia quoted Warisan sources as suggesting that PKR could be trying to hinder collaboration between Warisan and Sabah Umno as Warisan president Shafie Apdal was not invited to a PKR event on Aug 4 which was attended by numerous party leaders.
The Himpunan Perdana Rakyat event in Kota Kinabalu on Aug 4 celebrated the 25th anniversary of Sabah PKR and was attended by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and leaders from Pakatan Harapan, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS), and Sabah Umno. Anwar is also the PKR president.
However, a senior Sabah PKR leader told FMT that Warisan leaders were invited but failed to attend the event.
“Sabah PKR sent invitations to all party leaders; it’s just that they did not attend,” the leader told FMT.
“Claims that PKR is obstructing cooperation between Warisan and Umno are entirely unfounded, especially when they are based solely on the absence of Warisan leaders at one event.”
The term of the current Sabah government will expire in October 2025.
However, chief minister Hajiji Noor has hinted at the possibility that the state election may be held as early as this year.
There has been speculation since last December of a potential tie-up between Sabah Umno and Warisan after the former’s chief Bung Moktar Radin attended Warisan’s annual general assembly.
FMT previously reported that an alliance was on the cards among Umno, Pakatan Harapan, Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat, and Warisan to face GRS in the state’s 17th election.
Sabah Umno had withdrawn its support for GRS chairman Hajiji as chief minister in January last year.
Previously, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reminded party leaders in Sabah to focus on strengthening the state chapter first before discussing cooperation with other parties.
In June, Sabah Umno deputy chief Abdul Rahman Dahlan revealed that a request by the state chapter to be given the autonomy to choose its allies for the next state election was denied by the central leadership.
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