KOTA KINABALU - Prime Minister and Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will ensure that there will be no three-cornered fights between PH, Barisan Nasional (BN) and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) in the upcoming 17th Sabah state election.
He said discussions were currently ongoing to reach a mutual agreement to avoid clashes between the three coalitions.
“For now, we’re working to find common ground to avoid any three-way contests. But if it does happen, our advice is that it’s likely we (PH) may choose not to contest in that seat to avoid creating more division,” he told reporters after a meeting with Parti Keadilan Rakyat leaders in Sabah on Sunday.
When asked if this situation might confuse voters, Anwar admitted that it could, especially in constituencies where parties were disputing over seats.
“In areas where there are such conflicts, I’m sure there will be confusion. That’s why we’ve already sent a clear message to all three sides—PH, BN and GRS—that our main priority is to reach an understanding,” he said.
Anwar added that while anything was possible in politics, it was not always easy to achieve.
“In politics, anything can happen. But sometimes, it also feels impossible,” he said.
When asked about claims by some quarters that the cooperation between the three coalitions resembled a “love triangle”, he suggested that while the partnership was fundamentally beneficial, it was not without its challenges and differences in opinion that must be handled wisely.
“Love is a beautiful thing. Sometimes it hurts a little, but that’s the nature of love,” he quipped.
On the number of seats PH will contest in the Sabah polls, Anwar said it will be decided by the election team tasked with negotiating seat allocations.