THE Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition will not be launched in Sabah today as reported as negotiations with local parties over membership terms are yet to conclude, said party insiders.

The Malaysian Insight understood that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was to officially launch the ruling coalition during his visit to Sabah today and tomorrow.

“There will be no launch today. There was a discussion to launch the pact in Sabah but it has been called off,” a source familiar with the matter told The Malaysian Insight today.

Another source confirmed the cancellation, saying it was due to the fact that Sabah-based parties were still talking terms for joining the coalition with its leaders.

The two sources declined to say what had prolonged the talks or whether the parties were deadlocked.

A closed-door meeting between Muhyiddin and local politicians this evening has also been cancelled, said a source.

The signing of an agreement to use the PN symbol for the Sabah election, which was on Muhyiddin’s itinerary, is also scrapped.

SAPP was a component of Barisan Nasional until after 2008 general election, when it left. 

The party does not hold a seat in parliament, having lost in all the seven state seats it contested in 2018.

It is understood that apart from SAPP, another other Sabah party which has signed up with PN is Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR).

STAR, led by Deputy Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Jeffrey Kitingan, is also a member of Gabungan Sabah Bersatu with Parti Bersatu Sabah and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah. 

All three allies have an MP each and together, they have eight assemblymen in the Sabah legislative assembly.

MIC, which said it would join PN, announced last Thursday it was pulling out because BN, including Umno, would not.

PAS has confirmed it is on board with Bersatu in PN. The Islamist party has not since indicated that it has changed its mind. – August 29, 2020.