KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional and Umno has reiterated its commitment to not clash with Sabah Pakatan Harapan in seats to be contested in the coming state elections.
Barisan chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said while they acknowledge the Sabah Barisan’s intention to field candidates in 48 state seats, it was important that the final seats and candidates are winnable.
“We have agreed to not clash in seats with Sabah Pakatan. I have also heard loud and clear the Sabah Umno and Sabah Barisan’s intention to place candidates in 48 seats,” he said, adding autonomy has been given to the Sabah team to choose.
“But we will have another meeting with the central leadership to finalise these candidates and seats,” he told reporters after an event at the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) here, Saturday (Oct 18).
Zahid said he has received at least three to five names per seat to be contested, and these names would be finalised based on winnability.
“We have also decided to make sure there would not be overlapping of seats between Sabah Barisan and Pakatan,” he said.
He said for Pakatan, they were still discussing their seats with the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Asked how many seats Sabah Pakatan intended to contest in, Zahid said that was out of his jurisdiction.
Sabah Barisan has agreed to work with Sabah Pakatan in the coming state elections but mutually agreed with GRS to not work together.
However, GRS is working with Sabah Pakatan.
Earlier in the event when giving his speech, he said Sabah Barisan can do better than previously and asked for the young voters to give them a chance.
He said apart from confidence amongst the people towards Barisan, it was the party’s long track record which can prove their ability to the people.
What mattered most was to ensure that Sabah continues to develop better, more prosperous and get to enjoy better infrastructure, said Zahid.
“As for pending issues such as water, electricity and some infrastructural woes, it has to be solved within a term of forming the new government,” he said.
“We are sure the voters today are mature enough to choose which party or leader which can help bring a better future for the state,” he said.
On questions of the status of two suspended Umno assemblymen, Zahid said he heard from the news that they will contest under a different banner.
“So when it happens, we will see in terms of legal and political aspects (on future actions),” he said.
The two leaders he meant are Putatan MP Datuk Shahelmey Yahya and Kalabakan MP Datuk Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy, who are speculated to defend their state seats of Tanjung Keramat and Tanjung Batu respectively.
