KUCHING: Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president Datuk Larry Sng said the party will contest in the Bandau seat in the coming Sabah state election.
In a statement today, Sng, who is also the member of parliament for Julau, said he has endorsed the party’s Sabah chairman, Jupperi Lenson, to contest in Bandau. He said it is the only seat he has endorsed so far.
“Jupperi is a local and has been working on the ground for several months,” said Sng.
Sng said it is his understanding that Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) deputy president Datuk Wetrom Bahanda is not seeking to defend Bandau in the election.
“Should PBM win in Bandau in this coming election, the party will align with the new state government to ensure political stability,” Sng said.
He said PBM has decided not to contest in Kadamaian and Tanjong Papat, which it had previously announced at the party’s annual general meeting in Kota Kinabalu.
Kadamaian is currently held by United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) president Datuk Ewon Benedict, who is also Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman for Sabah, while Tanjong Papat is held by Frankie Poon Ming Fung from the Sabah DAP.
Sng said the decision not to contest in these two seats has led to the resignation of “several Sabah party leaders”, which PBM has accepted.
“I do believe in the right of PBM to contest in any seat in Sabah, given our independent position. However, I have expressed my concern about the lack of preparedness of our potential candidates,” he said.
He also said that he does not want PBM to be labelled as being anti-PH, which is the coalition of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Sng described the prime minister as a “friend and ally at the national level”.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
