Sabah DAP aims for over 10 seats
Chan
KOTA KINABALU (May 26): Sabah DAP is targeting more than 10 seats in the 17th Sabah State Election (PRN17), said its deputy chairman, Datuk Chan Foong Hin.
He said the decision was made during the party's recent state retreat but remains subject to negotiation with coalition partners under the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) pact.
Chan said the party aims to defend its four existing seats — Tanjong Papat, Kapayan, Likas, and Luyang — as well as reclaim Sri Tanjong and Elopura, where its former representatives defected to Warisan.
Chan, who is also Deputy Plantation and Commodities Minister, emphasized that decisions on electoral collaboration and seat allocation should be based on mutual respect and shared responsibility, rather than absolute autonomy or unilateral actions.
'Any decision must consider not just Sabah's interests but also the broader federal implications,' he said.
The Kota Kinabalu member of parliament was addressing claims that Sabah DAP lacks autonomy in political alliances, following the recent announcement of cooperation between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) under the Unity Government Secretariat.
'Prior to the announcement, no official decision was made. Even now, the arrangement isn't final — the door remains open for other like-minded parties to join the BN-PH Plus collaboration,' he explained.
Responding to PKR deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar's statement about contesting at least 13 seats, Chan said the final allocation depends on internal Pakatan consensus.
'Once there is agreement within Pakatan, we can begin formal negotiations with other coalitions,' he said after launching the Malaysian International Cocoa Fair at the Sabah International Convention Centre today.
In the 2020 state election, DAP contested under the Warisan logo, while PKR and Upko used their own symbols, collectively winning nine seats.
Apart from DAP, the Pakatan coalition in Sabah includes PKR, United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko), and Parti Amanah Sabah.
Chan noted the upcoming polls will be more complex, with three major blocs — PH-BN, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) and Warisan — vying for dominance.
'Discussions with other groups are ongoing, but formalising alliances takes time. For now, everything remains open,' he said.
'Nothing is set in stone. Each coalition must finalise its internal consensus first.'
On Gabungan Rakyat Sabah's (GRS) reported plan to contest 51 to 52 seats, Chan noted that such early proposals are normal. However, he stressed that any final seat arrangement would require consensus among the three coalitions — BN, PH, and GRS — making negotiations complex.
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