SABAH Pakatan Harapan parties will not give up their seats to other opposition parties in the 14th General Election, said coalition chairwoman Christina Liew.

She said state PH parties would continue to defend the seats they won and seek victory in the ones they lost by a small margin in the previous general election.

“The issue of withdrawing does not arise. Besides, it’s the voters who will decide, not party leaders.

“Is there a guarantee by local parties that they will 100% deliver all the seats (that they contest)?

“We don’t know, and judging from the results of the last general election, I think it’s reasonable for Sabah PH parties to defend the seats they won,” Liew, who is also state PKR chief, told The Malaysian Insight.

She said this in response to suggestions that Sabah-based parties be allowed to deliver the seats so that PH could capture Putrajaya.

Under the Pakatan Rakyat banner, opposition parties had contested all 60 state seats in GE13, with PKR contesting 43 seats, DAP (eight) and PAS (nine).

Pakatan Rakyat won 11 seats, with DAP contributing four and PKR, seven.

The old opposition pact also contested 21 out of 25 parliamentary seats, and saw DAP winning two and PKR, one.

Sabah PH parties’ seats were reduced after some elected representatives left to form state-based opposition parties like Warisan Sabah, Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah and Parti Cinta Sabah, as well as after the opposition bloc ceased cooperation with PAS on March 30, 2015.

Liew, however, was receptive to the idea of seat negotiations with other opposition parties, but said Sabah PH would “only cross the bridge when the time comes”.

When asked whether state PH parties would contest seats they won in the previous polls but lost after some representatives left, she did not respond.

Although chances are that the state will see another round of multi-cornered fights in GE14, Liew remains upbeat that Sabah PH could win despite the presence of new players.

She said voter sentiments on state rights and autonomy had not changed, and as such, voters could expect results from a PH state government.

“Sabah PH has autonomy in making decisions within the framework of the Constitution. It will work with the (central) PH to oust Umno and Barisan Nasional from the government.”

Liew assured that efforts to reclaim Sabah’s lost rights would be included in the state PH manifesto, which was being worked on. – September 5, 2017.