SABAH PARTI KEADILAN RAKYAT (PKR) IS HOPING THAT OPPOSITION PARTIES IN THE STATE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE CONTEST AGAINST THE BARISAN NASIONAL (BN) IN EVERY CONSTITUENCY IN SABAH IN THE NEXT GENERAL ELECTION.

PKR hoping for one-on-one fights in Sabah

Penampang: Sabah Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is hoping that opposition parties in the State will be able to provide one-on-one contest against the Barisan Nasional (BN) in every constituency in Sabah in the next general election.

Sabah PKR Chairman, Ahmad Thamrin Jaini, said the party believed this would be possible once opposition Pakatan pact was registered as a formal coalition.

He was asked to comment on the collaboration between DAP and PKR in Sabah as both parties did not perform well in the 2008 general election, with DAP only securing one seat, the Kota Kinabalu Parliamentary seat and PKR none.

Asked whether the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), which left the BN in 2008, would be joining the Pakatan coalition, he answered: "It is open for discussion."

SAPP had publicly announced that it would be going for 40 State seats and more than half of the 26 Parliamentary seats in Sabah and Labuan.

Tuaran PKR Chief, Ansari Abdullah, asserted that during a meeting between former Sabah PKR Chief, Azmin Ali, and SAPP President, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, "a basic understanding (on the matter) is already there".

Both of them, together with other Sabah PKR leaders, met with national PKR President, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, at the Sabah PKR headquarters in Bundusan, near here, Sunday.

Wan Azizah told reporters that she was satisfied, especially on the unity and strength of the Sabah PKR, based on her two-day working visit to the State although she admitted that there were some issues but, nonetheless, normal in any political organisation.

On the absence of PKR Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan at the meeting, she said Dr Jeffrey, who is also the PKR head for Sabah and Sarawak, was chairing a meeting with PKR leaders from Sarawak.

"He is still attending the meeting, that's why he is not here don't speculate," quipped Sabah PKR Deputy Chief, Christina Liew.

Wan Azizah also received membership application forms from Semporna PKR Chief, Mohd Abdul Wahab Datuk Panglima Abdullah.

Wan Azizah later went to the Star City Convention Centre where she delivered a keynote address for party leaders, members and supporters.