PENAMPANG: New opposition party, Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri (Anak Negeri), has collected over 15,000 membership forms state-wide since its membership drive from July.
Its president Datuk Henrynus Amin said out of that, one-third or 5,000 were from the interior divisions.
He said the state-based multiracial party was also considering of running for seats in 10 parliamentary constituencies where it had established itself but declined to specify the locations.
Henrynus said this after receiving a membership form from Kapayan assemblyman Dr Edwin Bosi, who was formerly with Sabah DAP. He left DAP in August.
“We are friendly with all the opposition… So we are looking at the best option,” he said when asked if there was any ongoing discussion of collaboration with other political party.
“We would like to unite (all opposition) parties but if that is not possible, we ask the rakyat to unite and pick the best opposition they want to represent them,” he said, urging the people to give them the mandate.
Anak Negeri was previously known as Parti Kerjasama Rakyat Sabah (Pakar) and had the name change when Henrynus, a former Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leader, took over the party and announced the successful transfer back in July, where Pakar founder Zainal Nasiruddin became his deputy president 1.
The party then announced its five core political struggle approved by Registrar of Societies (RoS) which include fighting for Anak Negeri rights, fight for freedom of religion, overcoming Identity Cards scams, safeguarding Native Customary Rights (NCR) land rights as well as fight for the fulfillment of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
Henrynus however stressed that the party do not believe in ‘Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia’ mentality, as they were also seeking the federal-level support in their five policies.
“We focus on local matters and the five are achievable targets,” he said, adding that if they came into power, any disputes between state and federal will be done via government-to-government initiative.
On their radical idea under religious freedom where they would allow change of religion, Henrynus said the law amendment would only apply to Sabah as ‘each State has their own religious laws’.
Meanwhile, Edwin explained that he was looking at the quality of leaders when choosing a political platform.
He picked the party as he was impressed by the experience and able leadership of Henrynus who was a former Ranau Member of Parliament and ex-PBS secretary general, as well as the party’s objectives which are issues close to his heart.
Asked where he will be contesting as he is now leading the party’s Penampang division, Edwin said it would be any of the parliamentary or the state seats including his current one under this division, but it was up to the leadership to decide.