JEFFREY INITIATES POLITICAL OPTIONS SURVEY

By: JOE FERNANDEZ

OUTGOING PKR vice-president Jeffrey Kitingan, who is on two months' leave from the party, has initiated a survey covering 10 questions on the political options available to Sabahans.

No deadline has been set for the survey forms to be returned to the organising committee, based at the Borneo Heritage Foundation (BHF), an NGO that Jeffrey heads.

The final tally of survey forms to be collected is not known. It has been estimated that Dusun alone forms eight percent of PKR's estimated 400,000 members.

The survey forms, prepared by Jeffrey's Common Interest Group Malaysia (CigMA), were handed out after a two-hour town hall-style meeting in Kota Kinabalu last night, attended by more than 60 key Sabah PKR leaders, including many division chiefs.

NONEThe survey ends with a question seeking a brief essay-type response on what should be done to win the hearts (and minds) of the people in the 13th general election.

Question nine asks respondents who they would prefer as prime minister - the incumbent Najib Abdul Razak or Opposition Leader and de facto PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim.

Question eight asks respondents to list their choice of the federal government - whether they want the ruling BN government or for it to be replaced by a Pakatan Rakyat government.

Question four asks respondents to list whether a local party or a national party would be their choice in the next general election.

The other six survey questions are in the multiple-choice format and list six possibilities for the political, social and economic future of Sabahans.

Sabah PKR leaders voice their political aspirations.

The handing out of the survey forms was preceded by many of those gathered taking to the floor to give their input on current developments in PKR and the possibility of the general election being held in the near future.

Nearly two-thirds of them favoured leaving PKR; five were keen to stay with the Peninsular Malaysia-based party while the rest remained silent.

One woman suggested finding out from Pakatan coordinator Zaid Ibrahim whether he intended to form a new political party and, if so, what plans he had to work together with Sabah and Sarawak.

Phillip Among, 41, from Penampang, a key Jeffrey aide, said the possibility of a general election being held within the next three months was "mere propaganda" spread by the PKR headquarters.

"They (PKR) want to prevent the possibility of us leaving the party. So, every three months they will say that the general election will be held within the next three months," said Among.

"The idea is to make sure that we don't leave the party. In this way, we will run out of time to form a new political party before any election."

Among was among those in favour of leaving PKR, irrespective of whether a general election would be held in the near future, and without waiting for an alternative party to be set up.

Jeffrey, who summed up the meeting, cautioned against anyone quitting PKR in a hurry or rushing into the formation of a new political party in Sabah.

"We will have a better feel of the mood among the people and members once the survey forms are in," he said.

"All of us accept Pakatan's agenda for change and reform, but unfortunately, the Borneo agenda is missing."

He also indicated that a meeting would be arranged next week by CigMA to exchange views on the need for "a third force" in Malaysian politics.