KOTA KINABALU, March 16 — Two native Opposition parties here have joined forces for the 14th election and hope more will set their differences aside to do the same.

Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) and Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (Anak Negeri) said they held similar views about Sabah natives’ welfare, and wanted to cooperate to avoid splitting the Opposition vote.

"The Kadazan Dusun Murut and Rungus community is very split in Sabah, because of the political parties of its own people.

"Many feel that we can no longer be united but today we prove them wrong,” PCS president Datuk Willfred Bumburing said when launching the pact here in front of about 200 invited party members and supporters.

The two parties claimed the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut (KDM) community was fed up with being neglected and marginalised by the federal government and wanted change.

Anak Negeri president Datuk Henrynus Amin said the pact cements the two parties’ resolve to aid each other and avoid overlaps.

The pact they signed included a pledge to contest only KDM-majority seats, not contest against each other, to use the PCS party logo, and pave way for a merger between the two parties.

Both plan to contest up to 25 of the 60 KDM-majority state seats in a bid to form a simple majority in the state assembly headed by the community’s leaders.

Despite their pact, both parties said they were open to others joining despite prevailing hostilities.

Parti Warisan Sabah’s Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal previously accused both leaders of colluding with the ruling Barisan Nasional.

Despite the bad blood, both said it was necessary to be pragmatic in the desire to unseat BN.

Sabah currently has over 20 Opposition parties, and today’s pact is the third alliance to be formed among these.

Another local party pact is Gabungan Sabah, also known as United Sabah Alliance, consisting of Parti Solidariti Sabah Tanah Airku (Sabah STAR), Sabah Progressive Party, Parti Perpaduan Rakyat Sabah and Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah.

The Pakatan Harapan is also present here.

A newcomer and possible dark horse is the Parti Warisan Sabah helmed by Shafie, a former vice president of Umno.