TAWAU: Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS) Deputy President and former Kukusan Assemblywoman Datuk Rina Jainal has resigned from the party with immediate effect following PHRS’s decision to suspend her membership for three years.
She also hinted that she intends to contest again for the Kukusan seat, which she previously won in the 16th Sabah Election (PRN16), defeating her closest rival, Chaya Sulaiman (BN-Umno).
“I will continue to serve in Kukusan because there is still much work to be done for the people here. This is not merely about the party. It is about duty and responsibility.
“Many voters in Kukusan have asked me to keep contesting and to continue voicing their concerns. As long as they want me here, I will not turn away,” she said,
Rina said her decision was made based on principle and self-respect, after feeling she had been a victim of political sabotage by certain individuals within PHRS.
“I no longer have any connection with PHRS. It is clear that there are people who seek to bring me down, especially as the nomination day state election approaches.
“The decision to suspend me just three days before such an important date is highly suspicious and seems deliberate to prevent me from contesting,” she said.
Earlier, PHRS Sec-Gen Christy Chok Lee Lui said Rina’s suspension was due to breaching party discipline.
Rina described the allegation as baseless and merely a political ploy to pave the way for another preferred candidate within the party.
“I have always remained loyal and worked hard for the people of Kukusan. But in the end, I was treated like an enemy,” she said.
She added that the suspension created confusion among Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) grassroots in the Kukusan constituency.
