KOTA KINABALU, Oct 27 — With Pakatan Harapan component United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) opting to use its own logo in the coming state election, Sabah DAP said it is still deliberating whether to follow suit.
Sabah DAP deputy chairman Datuk Chan Foong Hin said the question of whether Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties will contest under their party’s rocket logo or the coalition’s common banner in the upcoming Sabah state election has yet to be finalised.
“We have had some internal discussions before, where we conveyed our opinions and views to other component parties as well. It’s also an issue for each component to deliberate.
“At this moment, nothing has been finalised,” he said to reporters.
Chan, who is Kota Kinabalu MP said they respected Upko’s wishes to contest with their own logo but said there were overriding factors to consider as well.
“Sometimes, the logo itself isn’t the most important thing — what matters more is the spirit of unity. For example, DAP agreed to use the Warisan logo during the 2020 Sabah election,” he said.
Chan, who is also the deputy minister of plantation and commodities, said he believes PH will consider all factors before making a final call but hopes a consensus can be reached soon.
He said PH’s approach differed from that of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition, which has taken a hard line by warning that any party contesting under its own logo would be considered as having left the coalition, as demonstrated by Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).
Upko president Datuk Ewon Benedick had earlier announced that his party would contest under its own logo in the state election and only use the PH logo in national elections. He said this was in line with PH’s decision to grant Sabah PH autonomy in determining local electoral strategies.
He added that the decision was made after discussions with Sabah PH leaders, while the other component parties would consult their central leadership before confirming their stance.
Meanwhile,on the “love triangle” between PH, GRS and BN, Chan said that he hoped GRS and BN could still find common ground and avoid full-blown clashes across constituencies, which could undermine the stability of the unity government and public confidence in the three blocs.
PH has made separate deals with BN and GRS on which seats to contest, but BN and GRS are in conflict. All three are in the federal unity government.
“I believe regardless of whether it ends up being multi-cornered fights or otherwise, the main focus will be on post-election negotiations to form the state government,” he said.
“I also hope that, in the spirit of being fellow Sabahans, all sides can sit together and compromise.”
When asked whether PH would consider working with Parti Warisan after the election, Chan said Warisan was also part of the unity government at the federal level despite choosing to contest independently in Sabah.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t work together after the polls — cooperation or even government formation is still possible,” he said.
