KOTA KINABALU, Sept 18 — The DAP is ready to nominate former Sabah Bersih 2.0 chairman Jannie Lasimbang to be a member of its central executive committee (CEC), its parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said today.
If Lasimbang joins the CEC, she would be the sole Kadazan woman on the party’s highest leadership board.
“There is a vacancy and we intend on proposing her. Then we will have a not only a Kadazan but woman as a DAP leader in Malaysia,” Lim, who was at a mooncake celebration at Plaza Damai here, told reporters.
Lim also did not discount the possibility that DAP may field Lasimbang in Kepayan at the coming general elections.
“Maybe. It can mean that,” he said.
“She was also recently appointed as our Kepayan seat coordinator following the resignation of Kepayan assemblyman Edwin Bosi from the party,” added Sabah DAP chairman Stephen Wong, who was also at the event.
Bosi quit the party after a suspension for tarnishing the party’s image, citing differences with Wong and the latter’s refusal to guarantee his seat. He is currently not in any party.
Wong, who is also Sabah Pakatan Harapan deputy chairman, said the state Opposition pact is close to wrapping up its seat allocation discussions, which may lead to opportunity for alliances with local parties soon.
He said the state Opposition pact has had two official meetings on seat negotiations and have settled 80 per cent of them.
“We are almost done. We only have a few overlapping seats that have yet to be finalised within the party.
“That is within ourselves in Pakatan Harapan, and of course we are still open to discussions with genuine local parties who want to work with us,” he added.
He explained that negotiations had slowed as the national Opposition pact has been preparing its election manifesto.
Wong said that they would reach out to the parties with the same earnest aims of toppling the Barisan Nasional government after they settle their internal party seat allocations.
