KUCHING: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday sidestepped questions regarding the purported defection of two Sabah MPs from Barisan Nasional.
When asked by reporters about rumours that Tuaran MP Datuk Wilfred Bumburing and Beaufort MP Datuk Seri Lajim Ukim would be jumping ship, his response was: “Rumours, huh?”
Speculations in Sabah have it that Bumburing, who is Upko deputy president, and Lajim, an Umno supreme council member, were to quit yesterday but the plan was aborted and postponed.
Anwar, who is also opposition leader, however said it would take not just MPs and individuals for change and reform to take place in the country but a total clamour from the people.
“We would certainly welcome people committed to the reform agenda, people who understand the Buku Jingga (manifesto) and Pakatan Rakyat agenda.
“What is important is not just the position of Datuk Wilfred or Datuk Lajim but what the Sabahans want. And leaders must respect and respond accordingly. And I would certainly welcome them if their ideas respect the wishes and sentiments of the Sabahans,” he said yesterday.
Anwar was in Kuching for a two-day visit, during which he gave speeches at the Pakatan ‘ceramah’ (political talk) at a seafood restaurant in Kampung Serayan, Lundu and in Satok on Saturday night before leaving for Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
On the seat allocation among Pakatan parties for the 31 parliamentary seats in Sarawak, he said negotiations between PKR, DAP and PAS were still ongoing at the state level and some were brought up to the national level.
He was the adamant the issue of overlapping claims by Pakatan parties over several seats in Sarawak would be resolved by the time Parliament is dissolved.
“Recently (PKR deputy president) Azmin Ali, (PAS secretary general Datuk) Mustafa Ali and (DAP national vice chairman) Tan Kok Wai have come up saying we have resolved about 90 per cent of the (222) seats in the country
“It is still in the level of discussions involving election directors of each party. For me, 90 per cent, it’s okay lah. When it is near dissolution of the Parliament, we will solve it. We don’t even know when the election is whether it is September, October or next year,” he said.
Meanwhile, PKR state chairman Baru Bian said the frequent visits by Pakatan leaders to Sarawak showed their concern for the state.
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