I WON'T BE ACCEPTING THE NOMINATIONS!

By: DATUK DR JEFFREY KITINGAN

I am not going for any national post in the forthcoming Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) elections. I would like to thank all those who nominated me for the post of national vice president. However, I would like to confirm that I won’t be accepting the nominations. I am staying out of the race for any national party post.

My struggle had never been about party posts or positions. It had always been and would continue to be about Sabah and Sarawak rights and autonomy. This is a struggle that cuts across the political divide in Sabah and Sarawak and it can do without any distractions.

The debilitating struggle, constant, for party posts and positions every three years and in-between, for no rhyme or reason, was an unnecessary pre-occupation which is draining resources, taxing energies and was a major distraction from the real issues, principles and priorities that concern the people in Sabah and Sarawak.

These are the areas that would translate into votes for any party and not just winning a post or position in a way that damages the party.

Besides, I have already been national vice-president and see no point in hogging at my age a relatively junior and powerless post and continue to be bogged down by a situation where no one listens to you. I had even given up the national vice-president’s post late last year when I made my, “burnt my bridges” statement and went on a sabbatical for three months.

I have seen what one can do as a national vice-president which is very little. No one listens to anyone in the Supreme Council and being a Vice-President, makes no difference.

The political interests of Sabah and Sarawak don’t coincide with that of Peninsular Malaysia. There are major differences but nothing that cannot be resolved. Of course, they (Peninsular Malaysia) have their politics and we have ours. But we can still work together as genuine partners on the agenda for change and reform. Malaysia is still one country.

On the election process underway in PKR, it would be kinder not to comment.

However, I understand and accept that no system was without faults but the question was whether one was willing to accept them and even look the other way. We (PKR) need to do some serious soul-searching here and everyone should examine his or her conscience on the subject.

My support is for Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar should she decide to contest the post of deputy president and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) co-ordinator Zaid Ibrahim stays out.

My vote is also for Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to continue as party president.

Having a mother-daughter team to head a political party is a unique situation but in this particular case, it can be viewed as something positive for the party. It’s a one-off phenomenon, perhaps never again to be repeated for a very long time.

PKR is a relatively new party with not many seniors. The young should be brought into the party hierarchy to attract the four million new voters of their generation.