> PKR and SAPP reach deal
PKR and Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) have reached an accord on issues raised during talks between their leaders in Kota Kinabalu, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim revealed today.
The issues include the 20% oil/gas royalties for Sabah if a Pakatan Rakyat government takes over the federal government and the urgent need to resolve the illegal immigrant problems in the state.
Speaking to reporters at the end of his two-day visit to Sabah, Anwar also disclosed that he had invited Sapp, led by former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, to send observers to the PKR national congress at the end of this month as well.
Sapp, a BN component member since its inception in 1994, left the ruling coalition last month following its decision to support a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Anwar also said that he has invited the two MPs from Sapp, Dr Chua Soon Bui and Eric Majinbum, to join the Pakatan parliamentary caucus.
Political observers say this could be the first step for Sapp to form a formal alliance with Pakatan Rakyat.
Anwar, who is also Permantang Pauh MP, has been on a country-wide tour; the previous engagement before Sabah was last week in Sibu where he attended a ‘Friends of PKR’ gathering to announce the entry of independent Ngemah state assemblyperson Gabriel Adit into PKR.
PKR is planning to hold at least three more such gatherings in Sarawak within the next two months in major towns in the state.
The opposition leader also said that he was concentrating on building up PKR in Sarawak and Sabah.
Conflict within Sabah PKR
He acknowledged some conflict in the Sabah PKR leadership but pointed out this was a nornal process in politics.
Asked whether he had accepted the letter of resignation from Sabah PKR chief Ansari Abdullah, he did not respond directly but said that he had asked Ansari to stay on for at least two weeks after the PKR national congress.
He said any changes would only take place after the congress.
Ansari (left), a practising lawyer, has been reported to be at odds with PKR national vice-president Jeffrey Kitingan, and their differences have been widely reported in the local media.
Jeffrey himself was not present at Anwar's press conference but Ansari was quick to explain to reporters that Jeffrey had to leave earlier to present a paper at the party congress.
Anwar arrived in Sabah yesterday to declare open the party's state congress at the Tuaran Beach Resort outside Kota Kinabalu last night. Some 400 delegates and observers from 25 divisions in Sabah are attending the event - Malaysiakini.
