KOTA KINABALU: Parti Amanah Negara (PAN) will contest in Sabah, breaking a pact with Parti Warisan Sabah, in the coming 14th General Election on May 9.
Sabah PAN chairman Hamzah Abdullah claims two seats, the Batu Sapi parliamentary and Merotai state seats, were allocated for the party based on a consensus reached by the opposition pact at the national level.
Warisan, that is working with the opposition pact made up of PAN, PPBM, DAP and PKR at the national level, fielded Datuk VK Liew in Batu Sapi and Sarifuddin Hata in Merotai.
“Warisan are not honouring the consensus and they are making things difficult for the people of Sabah. If they are sincere in forming the next government, they must be willing to compromise,” he said.
Warisan has named 16 parliamentary candidates and 44 state candidates, taking the lion’s share of the 25 parliamentary and 60 state constituencies that will be up for grabs in the coming polls.
“It appears as if they are willing to fight with one another. The people will judge them.”
Hamzah had also urged Warisan to withdraw their candidates as PAN is only contesting in two seats in Sabah.
“(Otherwise) We will go all out and fight them (Warisan). We will not withdraw from these seats,” he stressed.
Hamzah will contest in Batu Sapi where he will face Liew, Norsah Bongsu (PAS), and incumbent Linda Tsen Thau Lin (BN).
He said Warisan would not stand a chance to win in the parliamentary seat as he was not a local born in Batu Sapi, adding Liew lost to DAP in the last general election on a BN ticket and was regarded as recycled candidate by the constituents.
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In Merotai, PAN candidate Arbaani Akum, will be facing a seven-way contest.
The other candidates are Sarifuddin,Ahmad Dullah (PAS), Lim Ting Khai (BN), Sharatha Masyaroh John Ridwan Lincon (Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah), Azizul Tandek (Parti Kebangsaan Sabah) and Mohd Nasir Sumadi (Usno).