No set rule that PKR must hold Sabah PH chairmanship, says Phoong

PETALING JAYA: The DAP leader of Sabah, Phoong Jin Zhe, has rejected the notion that the Sabah PH chairman must be from the PKR party.

Phoong also pointed out that the state PH chief was elected through a democratic process in the coalition's annual general meeting (AGM), which was reported by Utusan Malaysia.

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"I think all parties, including NGOs, are treated equally under the law," he said at a Christmas event organized by Parti Bersatu Sabah and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku in Penampang.

Phoong, who is also Sabah's minister for industrial development and entrepreneurship, made these remarks while responding to a claim by a PKR leader that the selection of Upko president Ewon Benedick as Sabah PH chairman has yet to be confirmed for continuity.

Earlier today, FMT reported a Sabah PKR chief saying the state Parti Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairmanship rightfully belongs to the party, based on a formula that has been agreed and followed by its component parties.

A leader from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) said anonymously that the election should never have happened and it was the first electoral contest since Parti Harapan Sabah (Sabah PH) was formed in 2017, after the poll held earlier this month.

Historically, the Sabah PH component parties, namely PKR, DAP, Upko and Amanah, usually select a leader from PKR to helm the state chapter of the coalition, the party leader pointed out.

Christina Liew was removed as Sabah PH chairman, a position she had held since 2017, after losing to Ewon by three votes on 1 December. Nonetheless, there are predictions that Liew might come back to head the state chapter.

The source also claimed that Upko and DAP exerted a considerable effort to remove Liew since she was "not easy to control".

Phoong today expressed that he was puzzled by the disputes over the presidency of Parti Pribumi Bersatu (PH), suggesting that concerns should be brought up at the party's Sabah leadership meetings and not publicly disclosed.

There appears to be a perceived effort to separate us. It's best if we address these issues during the meeting and have a thorough discussion.