KOTA BELUD, Sept 24 ― The practice of certain Sabah-based parties in adopting a confrontational stance towards the federal government is unhealthy, said former Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.
“We cannot (afford to) practise confrontational politics, as the people will become the victims when we instil hatred towards people in the peninsula. This is an unhealthy development,” said Salleh Said, the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate in Usukan.
“From before we in Sabah have been tied to development politics, and when we talk development politics, we should cooperate with and support the ruling (federal) party as it is capable of bringing development to Sabah,” he added.
Salleh Said said these Sabah-based parties had been harping on the issue of Sabah’s rights as if they had a monopoly on the matter.
“To me, Sabah’s rights do not belong to any political party. Sabah’s rights belong to the people of Sabah and we can get the best by having negotiations with the federal government,” he told Bernama when campaigning in Kampung Kuala Abai, Usukan here today.
Salleh, a former Sabah chief minister, is involved in a three-cornered fight with former teacher Abdul Bahkrin Mohd Yusof of Warisan and Datu Mohd Nazaruddin Datu Tiga Belas of PCS.
Usukan has 16,883 voters and is more than an hour by road from Kota Kinabalu. The Usukan seat was won by Datuk Japlin Akim of Umno in the 14th general election but he has since joined Bersatu.
Salleh urged the people of Sabah to support Perikatan Nasional (PN), BN and their allies so that the next state government would be aligned with the federal administration to boost development in the state.
He said response to his campaign had been very good although it was conducted under the new normal because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The current campaign is unlike those of before. We do not focus on big ceramah but concentrate on going to the ground to meet voters in the area we are contesting,” he said.
Some 1.12 million voters in Sabah will go to the polls on Saturday. ― Bernama
