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KOTA KINABALU: A possible collapse in relations between Gabungan Rakyat Sabah’s allies, PBS and STAR, over electoral seats could dent the coalition’s hopes of a good victory in the state elections, according to a political scientist.
The Sabahans will go to the polls tomorrow, and STAR apparently broke a partial truce reached between the two sides by clashes for seats. Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said PBS would likely distrust STAR after the party accepted independent candidate Kenny Chua as a member within hours of agreeing with PBS to avoid clashes in four seats.
Chua is contesting Inanam’s seat as an independent against nine others, including PBS.
“This friction between PBS and STAR will affect GRS’s chances of winning and winning big in the election,” Azman told FMT. He said that although the agreement between PBS and STAR meant that the former will remove its candidates from contesting the Bingkor and Tambunan seats, the fact is that they are still candidates there.
“There is a great potential for sabotage and this will cause the votes to split. PBS supporters are sure to feel slighted by the STAR measure, ”he said.
On Tuesday, PN Secretary General Hamzah Zainudin had managed to convince PBS to withdraw from contesting the Bingkor and Tambunan seats, while STAR would, in return, “withdraw” two independent candidates linked to the party in Bengkoka. and Api-Api and would campaign for PBS instead.
The candidates will technically remain standing in their respective seats, but have agreed to campaign for the other party following the consensus negotiated by Hamzah.
But just hours after PBS and STAR signed the deal, STAR handed Chua her party membership card, and independent Anita Baranting, who is vying for Tandek’s position, sent her membership form to the STAR president, Jeffrey Kitingan, at a ceremony in Kota Marudu yesterday.
Baranting is locked in a six-way fight against PBS, among others, for the seat.
Although Chua and Baranting remain independent on the ballot, their association with STAR means that the party, regardless of the other contending parties, will face PBS in six seats.
In total, the three GRS partners, PN, Barisan Nasional and PBS, face each other in 17 seats.
Awang Azman likened STAR’s action in accepting independents as members as a “backstabbing” from PBS.
“STAR’s decision to accept Chua (after the consensus agreement) will likely affect the party’s image, which is now seen as turning its back on loyalty and camaraderie among allied parties over facing the common enemy.
“Both parties have been in politics for a long time and they must know that the rivalry between them will not benefit them and may cause their downfall.
“This will also cause disappointment among STAR supporters who expected more transparency and integrity from the party leadership,” he said.
Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah also agreed that STAR had, to some extent, reneged on the partial peace deal with PBS.
“It is a positive sign that they have agreed to work on some seats. “But (the Chua affair) has revealed Jeffrey’s true colors. This raises the question of whether he can cooperate with someone because based on his past history he had also moved from party to party and alliance to alliance, “he said.
On another note, he said that PBS will feel even more hurt after it has not been given the first choice at the negotiating table because it is not a component of PN or BN. STAR is a member of Perikatan Nasional.
“PBRS at BN and Star at PN have the privilege of choosing how many and which seats they want first. The ‘spare’ seats are only awarded to PBS because it is a PN Plus party, not a component party. This will make PBS feel like a second-rate party, ”Lee said.
He said that PBS was not given a clear path to face the main contenders, Warisan Plus, even in traditional seats like Tandek and Matunggong, which they had won in previous elections.
PBS had previously announced that it would compete in 15 seats, but it turned out that on the day of the nomination, the party had put forward candidates in an additional seven seats, prompting further clashes with the component parties of the PN and BN.
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