
Sabah PKR: No seat deal yet with Umno, no official talk
Published on: Thursday, May 01, 2025
Published on: Thu, May 01, 2025 Text Size: Sabah PKR has dismissed claims of a finalised seat arrangement with UMNO for the upcoming 17th Sabah state election (PRN-17), saying no official discussions have taken place. 'We are open to cooperation, but let's start with real negotiations,' said Razeef Rakimin, PKR Sabah Information Chief. He was responding to UMNO Sabah's Suhaimi Nasir, who claimed a 40-33 seat split had been agreed between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH). 'No such talks have occurred. We don't know where Suhaimi got the figure from, and none of our PH leaders have met BN or GRS to discuss seat sharing,' he stressed. He urged UMNO to avoid making unilateral statements, calling repeated claims by BN leaders misleading and unhelpful. * Read full report in tomorrow's print paper or log in or sign up for e-paper and premium online news access. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Focus Malaysia
6 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Boycott PKR in GE16 greets Nurul Izzah's victory; grassroots foresee rot from prevalent family ties
WHAT an anti-climax! Instead of being jubilant, many Reformasi diehards who have been vital lynchpins to PKR's very existence have vowed to disassociate themselves from the party which they claimed have switched to self-destruction mode following Nurul Izzah Anwar's victory against incumbent Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli in the PKR deputy presidency race. This came about as Malaysiakini broke the news citing party election committee chairperson Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa as having announced that Nurul Izzah has toppled the Economy Minister with 9,803 votes. Tak rasmi: Rafizi kalah pemilihan PKR — Malaysiakini (BM) (@mkini_bm) May 23, 2025 Although Dr Zaliha did not state the number of votes polled by Rafizi, it was revealed in the party's Borang Keputusan (Borang 14) that the Pandan MP garnered only 3,866 votes which means the eldest daughter of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim won by an overwhelming majority of 5,937 votes or 60.6% margin. Sarcasm of sorts filled the news portal's comments section with the most popular being 'hopefully later, Nurul Izzah's other sisters will contest for the party's vice-presidency'. Another insinuated that her younger siblings may even vie for head of PKR's youth wing or even PMX's son-in-law (Nurul Izzah's husband) as a member of the party's Central Leadership Council (MPP). On a more serious note, many anticipated the party to languish from nepotism, hence wanting to disassociate themselves from PKR come the 16th General Election (GE16). Boycotting the party or abstain from voting in GE16 which means turning their back to the PKR-led Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition would point to PMX being a one-term premier, insinuated one disgruntled grassroot member. One commenter expressed disbelief at how PMX used to hit out at twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for promoting his son Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir as his successor yet he (PMX) himself is doing the exact same thing now. Another contended that it has become clear why prominent leaders like Datuk Ezam Mohd Nor (a founding PJR member) or Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (former deputy president) eventually left the party to join the opposition while one is bracing for PKR/ruling PH coalition to come under fire from their own supporters. 'There's no need to await the official results for the writing was already on the wall … I wish PH a happy return to being an opposition … confirm you shall be a flop in GE16; you've lost my vote,' fumed one supposedly staunch PKR backer. While it may be too soon to gauge the anticipated devastation, one 'overseas-stationed' commenter summed up that his entire family members who are still residing in Malaysia will no longer vote for Nurul Izzah, her father, her mother 'or the party now gasping under the weight of your entitlement!' – May 24, 2025


Focus Malaysia
6 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
No buy-in from Malays to Tun M's Malay unity alliance movement; even Akmal says 'No thanks'
SUCH is the reception that twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gets after having mooted a movement to unite Malays with Bersatu and PAS in a bid to resolve issues faced by Malays that he alleges the current government has failed to address. A big 'slap in the face' would probably have to be that even the firebrand Malay rights defender in UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has turned down the centenarian's invitation to UMNO members to join his Jawatankuasa Sekretariat Orang Melayu (Malay People's Secretariat Committee). 'But the same people also wanted to ban UMNO when they were in power … Now when they are not in power, the style is different,' he reacted in a Facebook post. 'Thank you, Tun, we appreciate your invitation but we still have not forgotten what happened. If you want to unite this nation, let it come from a sincere heart because you love the religion of the nation, not just want to get a position for yourself.' Although Dr Mahathir claimed that the movement is not politically motivated and will serve as a platform to resolve issues faced by the Malays by grouping them under a payung besar (big umbrella), he did caveat that the ultimate objective can only be achieved if it regain control of the government. Also present at the unveiling of the movement were Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin and vice president Radzi Jidin as well as PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. Opposition-slant UMNO member Datuk Zaid Ibrahim foresees the Malay unity alliance initiative as merely another effort to consolidate Malay political forces which has thus far failed to achieve meaningful electoral success. 'This is unsurprising. Major parties like UMNO and PAS continue to prioritise their own agendas, often at the expense of broader unity,' observed the former de facto law minister on X. Dear Tun Dr Mahathir, You have been relentless in your pursuit of uniting the Malays, and I fully understand your concerns about their future and well-being. Your commitment to the cause is admirable. However, the effort to consolidate Malay political forces has, so far, failed… — Zaid Ibrahim (@zaidibrahim) June 5, 2025 'Bersatu has lost momentum. The anticipated exodus from UMNO never happened and the party now finds itself adrift. While still commanding its loyal base, PAS has not adapted sufficiently to meet the expectations of a more informed and demanding electorate.' Zaid went on to counter propose 'the formation of a leadership cohort: a group of 20 capable Malaysians, preferably under the age of 50 with demonstrated integrity and success in their respective fields – politics, business, academia, civil society and entrepreneurship'. 'This group should be publicly presented as the nucleus of a future national leadership,' he pointed out. 'Crucially, this group must come from a broad and inclusive spectrum. They must not be the usual suspects – party officials with worn-out ideas and questionable reputations – but fresh, untainted voices with the courage to speak and act in the national interest.' The bottom line is not only that man-on-the-street Malays have wised up by not wanting to fall for yet another sinister initiative in the guise of uniting them but even blamed Dr Mahathir for disuniting them at the end of the day: – June 6, 2025 Main image credit: Malay Digest (@malaydigest)/X


Focus Malaysia
6 hours ago
- Focus Malaysia
Kadir Jasin evaluates if PKR has made a ‘prized catch' by netting the nomadic-natured Tengku Zafrul
INVESTMENT, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz has the moral obligation to give up his ministerial portfolio if he ever wishes to leave UMNO given that position was accorded to him as a UMNO member. By not resigning, he contributed a ministerial position to PKR while UMNO lost a ministerial seat at least for the time being, according to veteran journalist and blogger Datuk A. Kadir Jasin. 'We shall wait and see whether Tengku Zafrul's leap is just a puppet show or causes open war between UMNO and PKR,' he penned on his Facebook page. 'Will UMNO president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi simply ask for his party's cabinet quota to be maintained or will he object to PKR accepting Tengku Zafrul? Will he prioritise UMNO's dignity or maintain the lifeline given to him by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim?' Delving farther, Kadir deemed Tengku Zafrul as 'not a big catch for PKR' but on the contrary, would 'ease UMNO's burden' given the many stories of external interference regarding his entry into politics and his appointment as finance minister in 2020. 'He was appointed a senator and finance minister during the tenure of backdoor Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's government but his political adventure was never brilliant,' recounted the national journalism laureate. 'A job hopper' 'He lost the 15th General Election in 2022 to Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PH-Amanah) but won a seat in the UMNO Supreme Council in 2023.' This led to the political critic in Kadir taking a swipe as Tengku Zafrul for contending that 'his image is also not as brilliant in the corporate world'. 'He is known as a job-hopper. His curriculum vitae since 1996 shows that he has changed jobs and positions 14 times. This means that he has not spent more than two years in each position,' revealed Kadir. 'As a financial specialist, Tengku Zafrul must have made mathematical calculations and statistical analysis on his chances of remaining in UMNO and moving to PKR.' With his senatorship expiring end-2025, Kadir nevertheless described as 'a slap in the face' foe Tengku Zafrul the very fact that he was 'demoted' to be a MITI minister when his ambition has been to retain his finance minister portfolio in the Madani government. 'Although the one who took over the position of Finance Minister was Anwar himself, Tengku Zafrul knows that Anwar is not an economist or financial expert,' Kadir noted. 'But it's nevertheless painful when Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan, a technocrat like him, is appointed as the Second Finance Minister'. Hidden agenda Reviewing the various wild predictions and conspiracy theories surrounding Tengku Zafrul's actions, Kadir said some had commented that he (Tengku Zafrul) is less confident of UMNO's leadership or it could be that Anwar has promised something better. 'As a result, speculation arose that a Selangor Legislative Assembly by-election could be orchestrated to allow him to win easily and subsequently be appointed as Menteri Besar,' shared the former group editor-in-chief of mainstream New Straits Times. 'This has caused several quarters in PKR, including the current Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to feel the heat although he had eventually denied such speculation. 'Moreover, the very fact that Tengku Zafrul chose to bid farewell to UMNO and offer himself to PKR occurred almost simultaneously with the Cabinet resignations of former PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and ex-vice president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has caused many to assume there's hidden agenda in the pipeline.' At the end of the day, Kadir regarded Tengku Zafrul's actions have somehow brought to light the practice of party hopping that the Madani government has been being trying hard to curtail. 'Not to mention when it involves the PM's own party and that of the Deputy PM – one between the teacher and the pupil. We shall wait for the next chapter to unfold,' added Kadir. – June 3, 2025