Upko: Political parties have the right to demand seats
Published on: Thursday, February 08, 2024
Felix (left) also supported the proposal by Ewon (right) that the seat allocation among the cooperating parties in the upcoming state election should be something fresh and new.
Kota Kinabalu: United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation Party (Upko) Youth Leader Felix Joseph Saang said that political parties have the right to propose or demand seats they want to contest.
“It is the right of their respective parties and has become a common practice every time before a general or state election,” he said in a statement, here, Wednesday.
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He believes that the call by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leaders for Upko to stop its demands is perplexing.
He said he does not understand and finds it strange because Upko is a component party of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) and not a component party of any other side.
“Ironically, the GRS component parties have openly indicated their intention to contest 73 seats. Why haven’t GRS leaders criticised this statement?
“Upko, a component party of PH and PH Sabah, has never demanded the 73 seats claimed by GRS leaders,” he said.
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According to him, it is evident that any party has the right to share their thoughts, and GRS leaders should not criticise when Upko spoke about the seats they wished to contest.
Felix, who is also the Upko Beluran Division Chairman, said it should be noted that the Sabah PH played a critical role in ensuring that the GRS government did not collapse and was able to survive when there were attempts to overthrow it in the past.
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He said they do not need to criticise if there are others expressing their views, and the term “big brother” should no longer be used in today’s political landscape.
“Let’s cultivate a healthy democratic practice, and we should have an open attitude to listen to the views and suggestions of all parties,” he said.
Felix also supported the proposal by Upko President Datuk Ewon Benedick that the seat allocation among the cooperating parties in the upcoming state election should be something fresh and new.
He said this was to avoid the culture of demanding the same old seats to ensure a fairer distribution of seats among all the component parties cooperating in the upcoming state election.
“Upko Youths wants the party to contest in more seats than in the previous state election and to remain united with Pakatan Harapan,” Felix said.
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