Sabah DAP to contest seven seats

KOTA KINABALU (Oct 26): Sabah DAP will field mostly new faces in the seven seats it is contesting in the 15th General Election.

Three of its incumbents will defend their seats in Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tenom while four more seats will be contested under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) logo.

UPKO will contest five seats and the remaining 25 Sabah parliamentary seats will be given to PKR and one or two for Amanah.

DAP policy bureau chief Chan Foong Hin is defending Kota Kinabalu, Vivien Wong is defending Sandakan and Noorita Sual is defending Tenom.

Sabah DAP election director Ginger Phoong said at a press conference at the Sabah DAP headquarters in Damai, Luyang on Wednesday that the party will field new candidates who are under 40 in four seats in urban and semi-urban areas.

“The DAP candidate line-up will be the youngest among all political parties in Sabah. I believe it will be very interesting and quite challenging.

“Our new candidates have served in the party for three or four years, with solid grassroots, male and female, and Sino-Kadazan,” he said.

The full list of candidates will be announced on October 31 in Tuaran where the coalition will hold a gathering with its top four national leaders, including PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke and Amanah president Mohamed Sabu.

Also present at the press conference were Chan, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (UPKO) president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, UPKO incoming president Datuk Ewon Benedick and Amanah Sabah supreme council member Rosdy Wasli.

Earlier, during the press conference, Chan said that the reluctance of caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to publicly commit to Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Dato’ Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s call for two additional deputy prime minister (DPM) posts from Sabah and Sarawak signals BN’s insincerity in empowering the regions.

“Even if the offer finally makes it into BN’s manifesto, it stands as a hollow gesture that will only benefit the few political elites while East Malaysians gain no benefit at all,” he added.

He also said that in contrast, Pakatan Harapan (PH) brings a more holistic package in empowering Sabah and Sarawak.

“Together with the appointment of a deputy prime minister from Sabah and Sarawak, a National Administrative Coordination Council will be formed to bridge the development gap between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak. The appointed DPM will then be empowered to oversee the operations of the council which will be deliverating matters relating to developmental budget allocations across the three regions,” he said.

Chan also said that the DPM will be given the authority to monitor federal-funded projects in Sabah and Sarawak to reduce the incidence of abandoned projects.

“Compared to the current arrangement in which the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) is not empowered to such extent, the DPM’s oversight of developmental projects in East Malaysia will increase their urgency and ensure delivery within the stipulated timeline.

Additionally, PH will entrust this DPM with the role of safeguarding Sabah and Sarawak’s rights, he said.

“The elevation of scope ensured that the interest of Sabahans and Sarawakians will continue to be protected under our administration in addition to restoring their rights as stipulated under the Malaysia Agreement 1963,” he said.

Chan added that PH will also introduce measures and reforms as part of their empowerment package such as the grants and tax incentives for the relocation of all types of industries, particularly all manufacturing sectors to Sabah and Sarawak, starting with RM1 billion in 2023.

PH will also implement the recommendations of the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) report and ensure that the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and all 12 documents, especially the IGC, are respected and that any conflict with the original intention of the agreement will be implemented as intended, he said.

In addition, PH will also restore the power to appoint the Judicial Commissioner of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak to the Governor (Yang di-Pertua Negeri) of both regions; and also ensure 35 percent of parliamentary representatives are from Sabah and Sarawak, he said.

Chan said that PH will also introduce more autonomy for education and healthcare matters and increasing access to higher education facilities and specialised healthcare services; implement 40 percent revenue sharing for Sabah as intended under Section 112C, section 2(1) Part IV, 10th Schedule, and for Sarawak, a review of the special grant under 112D, section 3 of the Federal Constitution, for every five years; safeguard the rights of Sabah and Sarawak natives and indigenous people as enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples including matters of native customary rights and the establishment of Land Tribunal to handle any disputes; and gazette a designated free trade zone area in Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, POIC Lahad Datu and Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park.

“BN should know that the decades-worth of injustice that it has caused cannot be put right with a promise of a position alone. Instead, a more meaningful distribution of power and a fairer allocation of resources are needed to ensure these regions can catch up with the developmental advancement experienced in West Malaysia,” he said.

“It is clear that only Pakatan Harapan has the intention and political will to make this a reality. Together with the various offers that we have in store for East Malaysians, we are set to usher in a new age of prosperity for the people of Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Tangau said the Pakatan composition this time was not the same as in 2018, and promises made at that time could not be kept owing to the short governing period and other issues.

“This election, we have different leaders. The proposal to have a DPM from either Sabah or Sarawak would help pave the way to get back rights under MA63, where issues like the 40% revenue for Sabah among others will be fulfilled without delay,” he said.

He said if Pakatan wins GE15, the selected DPM will have the authority to monitor federal funded projects in Sabah and Sarawak while a national administrative coordination council will be formed to bridge development gaps.

On whether or not Pakatan had finalised its choice for DPM, he said it was more important that the prime minister candidate (Anwar) had been fixed.

“The DPM candidates can come later,” he added.