LABUAN: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should state loud and clear who the next Chief Minister will be in the event the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah is returned to power with the help of PH and like-minded components.
“Voters will then be able to better decide which party they should vote in the Nov. 29 Sabah election,” said activist Haji Abdul Jalil Ghani.
Abdul Jalil said this is due to the fact that it would likely be a tight race and the PM’s Pakatan Harapan has the advantage of being in two coalitions – Barisan Nasional and GRS.
“Hence, the person may even come from his PH, even though it may command lesser seats than GRS,” he said.
Abdul Jalil noted that where there is no clear majority, i.e. no party winning 37 seats out of the 73, it will be the TYT who will then decide who he thinks enjoys the command of the majority in the State Assembly.
“But if he makes his preference clear, it will also make the TYT’s task easier.
“Anwar is PH Chairman as well as PKR President. PH is contesting merely 17 seats and cannot on its own form the government as it lacks the numbers.
“But it could still be the kingmaker,” he said, adding it would even give Anwar bragging rights about Pakatan capturing Sabah, where Umno failed since 2018.
Jalil said PH can play this key role because it has struck electoral understandings with incumbent GRS and also Federal-based BN-Umno.
He said if Hajiji continues as CM, voters would be assured that the Chief Executive would be from a Sabah-based party, reflecting the current mood for Sabah-based parties to lead the state and not peninsula-based ones anymore.
“Hence, Anwar must clear the air on this before the elections and put an end to the speculations,” said Abdul Jalil
He said among the fears are that in the event of a hung assembly, PH may lean towards BN to offset the pressure on demands for Sabah’s 40pc revenue entitlement under a court ruling, and which the Federal Government has agreed not to appeal the main part.
“However, PH surely also values it good ties with GRS since the next General Election is coming and GRS support will be necessary.”
In the Nov. 29 elections, BN is believed to be having a secret pact with Parti Warisan to revive its Langkah Kinabalu project that may make Sabah Barisan and Sabah Umno head Datuk Bung Moktar Radin or Warisan President Datuk Shafie Apdal the Chief Minister.
