Respect Sabahans and Sarawakians, PKR told

'Arrogant' PKR and its Pakatan partners are doomed
in Sabah and Sarawak if their overbearing attitude
shows up in the general election, says an activist.

KOTA KINABALU: A well-known activist, who has closely observed Sabah’s political landscape since the formation of Malaysia in 1963, has some advice for PKR – be more respectful and sensitive to Sabahans and Sarawakians.

Veteran activist and politician Fredoline Edwin Lojingki, 70, said the advice, if heeded, would help PKR and its Pakatan Rakyat partners in their march towards Putrajaya.

He said that PKR was falling into the trap of believing that it knew best and should be the one dictating who should represent the people of the two states.

“It’s a trap it cannot emerge unscathed if it is not a bit more sensitive and respectful of Sabahans and Sarawakians,” he said.

Lojinki, who worked alongside the likes of state independence heroes such as the late Fuad Stephens and Peter Mojuntin in the 1960s and 1970s, urged the opposition party to be sympathetic to the locals.

Lonjinki, who was with the now-defunct Unko or United National Kadazan Organisation in the 1960s, said PKR’s behaviour in the Borneo states was insulting to the locals.

“I have seen it all… the ups and downs of political parties and leaders.

“I am quite amused by the sheer courage of the PKR leadership to bulldoze the PKR-DAP-PAS alliance for a one-to-one fight with the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) in Sabah in the coming general election.

“As shown by statements including the latest by its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in Kota Kinabalu, it appears to me that PKR is too preoccupied with the one-to-one fight between Pakatan and BN.

“It just wants to enhance its chances of replacing BN as the federal government and for Anwar Ibrahim to be the prime minister.”

Usurping rights

Lojingki said that by insisting on a one-to-one formula, PKR was usurping the rights of political parties and individuals in Sabah and Sarawak to contest in an election.

“Of course, the call for one-to-one fight would reduce BN’s chances of winning, since it has been in power for a very long time and given its current deteriorating clout among voters.

“But PKR should learn to approach this issue by respecting the views of Sabah and Sarawak and the two states’ inherent special autonomy rights within Malaysia,” he said.

He said that PKR has little excuse not to learn from last month’s Sarawak election where it won only three seats out of 50 it contested.

And even then the three candidates won the seats based on their own personal strength rather than PKR’s clout in the state, he added.

According to Lojingki, PKR can help achieve the one-to-one fight with BN by confining itself to the 11 states in the Peninsula, and allowing the state-based parties in Sabah and Sarawak to do the work.

“Aren’t 11 states enough for PKR?” he asked.

“Your arrogant approach by merely offering only three, out of 71 seats, to SNAP (Sarawak National Party) in Sarawak recently shows you are like the arrogant Umno.

“If PKR is sincere, PKR and its allies DAP and PAS should stay away from Sabah and Sarawak and let our people elect from among our state-based parties who should represent us in Parliament and the State Legislative Assembly.

“We can always be your partner at the federal level. Why must a Peninsula-based party always be in control of Sabah and Sarawak?

Open secret

Lojingki believes Pakatan harbours the intention of fielding candidates in all the 60 state constituencies and 25 parliamentary seats at stake in Sabah in the coming general election.

“It is an open secret that Pakatan only needs to win about eight to 10 parliamentary seats in Sabah and Sarawak to propel them to Putrajaya.

“They are confident of winning and they will offer SAPP (Sabah Progressive Party) only one or two seats as enticement to partner with them later at the federal level.

“It is like SAPP going for all seats in the Peninsular states and offering PKR to contest in only two to three constituencies.

“Is this acceptable to PKR? I think they would brush this aside as nonsense and illogical.

“But what about you doing this to Sabah and Sarawak parties and leaders?” he asked.

“If they (Pakatan leaders) can dominate us now while they are still not a federal government, what more if they already occupy Putrajaya?

“Even if Pakatan assumes power, it will be voted out in the next general election, judging from its arrogance,” he said.