PARTI Harapan Rakyat Sabah (Harapan), led by former Klias Assemblyman Lajim Ukin, will be dissolved and its 64,000 members will migrate en bloc to Bersatu, which is making its entry into Sabah.

Harapan president Lajim told reporters today that an extraordinary meeting will be held to pave the way for the move.

“We submitted our application to join Bersatu in July 2018 and met Bersatu chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Kota Baru on November 10. We had a second meeting with him in Putrajaya in December,” Lajim said at the party’s headquarters in Kapayan, Kota Kinabalu.

“We are willing to sacrifice our party because we know we can contribute better towards nation building and developing Sabah.”

Harapan was formed in October 2016 as the party for Lajim to contest in the 14th general election.

Lajim is expected to align Bersatu with the ruling Sabah parties namely, Parti Warisan Sabah, Sabah DAP and PKR, and United Pasok Momogun KadazanDusun Murut Organisation (Upko).

He said he has held informal meetings with former Sabah Umno liaison chief Hajiji Mohd Noor, who also invited Bersatu into the state, but has spoken about plans to cooperate with the opposition Gabungan Bersatu Sabah (GBS).

GBS comprises Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku and Parti Bersatu Sabah.

Lajim said Bersatu’s entry into Sabah is not to oppose, but rather, to strengthen Warisan, as well as Upko and the state Pakatan Harapan, as stated by Dr Mahathir.

“Besides, the direction is entirely up to who becomes the state Bersatu chief,” he said, adding that Harapan has shared its views on who should take up the position, and is open to the Bersatu top leadership’s choice. – February 17, 2019.