Batu Sapi: A deal in the making between PKR and SAPP?

KOTA KINABALU: Tomorrow several PKR national leaders are expected to meet with local leaders from Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) to broker a deal to ensure a one-on-one contest with Barisan Nasional in the upcoming Batu Sapi parliamentary seat by-election.

This last-ditch effort is seen as necessary following the call by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim for SAPP not to contest in Batu Sapi to pave the way for the PKR to take on BN in a straight fight.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament lobby in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Anwar announced that PKR would field a candidate in the Batu Sapi by-election.

SAPP, a Sabah-based opposition party, had earlier indicated its intention to put up a candidate and planned to announce its candidate on Saturday.  BN will announce its candidate from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) in Sandakan on Sunday.

Asked about the opposition party meeting, SAPP deputy president Eric Majimbun said SAPP's door was always open for discussions for the common good of the people and the state.

"We welcome them to see us. We are ready for the talks. We want to listen to their views especially on a possible cooperation to face the mighty BN in the Batu Sapi by-election," he said today.

SAPP won't budge

However, he said, the SAPP supreme council had already made its decision to field a candidate in the by-election and that it was unlikely that the party would reverse its decision for now.

"SAPP is a local-based party... if we cannot contest in Sabah, where else can we contest. So, we hope that Pakatan Rakyat understands our situation," he said.

Asked about the possible deal, Majimbun said he was still in the dark about it, saying it was more of a political strategy.

"Nothing is impossible in politics and we will see when we meet them," he said.

Meanwhile, political analysts believe that the failure of the two opposition parties to broker a deal might split opposition votes, thus giving advantage to the ruling coalition to retain the seat.

The by-election follows the death of incumbent Edmund Chong Ket Wah, who won the seat at the 2008 general election with a comfortable 3,708-vote majority, defeating independent candidate Chung Ong Wing. Chong polled 9,479 votes against Chung's 5,771.

Batu Sapi has 25,582 voters, of whom 24,047 are ordinary voters and 1,535 postal voters. A total 15,099 or 59.02 per cent of the voters are Muslim Bumiputera, 689 non-Muslim Bumiputeras (2.69 per cent), 9,737 Chinese (38.06 per cent) and others, 57 (0.22 per cent).

Nomination has been fixed for Oct 26 while polling is on Nov 4.

- Bernama