Parti Bangsa Malaysia will be contesting in the impending Sabah elections and will not be forming any electoral pact with any major coalition for the polls, party president Larry Sng said.
He told The Borneo Post that the party’s decision to contest on its own was driven by grassroots’ support and PBM’s historical roots in Sabah.
Among the seats PBM is eyeing are Bandau, Tanjung Papat and Kadamaian. “Currently we are finalising the seats and the candidates, but tentatively we are looking at two to three constituencies,” Sng was quoted as saying.
The three seats are currently represented by Perikatan National, Warisan and Upko.
“Whether or not we win is a secondary issue. The important thing is that we will be able to give people an option to choose,” he said.
Sng said that although PBM is now a national party, its roots were in Sabah where it had developed a significant support base, with 65% of its members being from the state.
He did not rule out working with the state government should PBM win any seats. “We will be able to work with the government and play a stabilising role.”
PBM’s decision to throw its hat into the ring, comes days after Barisan Nasional chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi held firm to BN‘s alliance with Pakatan Harapan.
The state’s ruling coalition, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, has also announced a similar pact with PH.
The five-year term of the Sabah state assembly expires on Nov 11, unless dissolved sooner. Elections must be held within 60 days of dissolution.
