KOTA KINABALU: Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM) reaffirms that it will not form alliances to contest in the upcoming 17th Sabah state election.
Reiterating its decision to go solo, the party’s information chief, Mohd Ari-Nadzrah Abd Rahman, denied claims of collaboration with other political parties or coalitions.
“We want to clarify that KDM remains firm in its earlier decision to contest independently. No alliances have been formed,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (April 8).
He also addressed a programme that recently went viral on social media, which was claimed to be jointly organised by Parti Sedar Rakyat (Sedar) and KDM, stating that the event was held without the party’s knowledge or consent.
“KDM would like to stress that our decision to contest the upcoming election independently remains unchanged.
“Any programme organised by other parties claiming KDM’s involvement is false and beyond our knowledge,” he added.
Mohd Ari-Nadzrah said such misinformation could be a deliberate attempt to tarnish the party’s image as a local entity preparing to compete in the state polls.
“KDM will continue to chart its own course as an independent local party committed to representing the people of Sabah,” he said.
Previous reports indicated that KDM had planned to field candidates in 45 of Sabah’s 73 state seats in the upcoming election, which is expected to be held by September of this year.
The three-year-old party currently holds two parliamentary and two state seats, represented by its jailed president, Datuk Peter Anthony (Melalap assemblyman), deputy president Datuk Wetrom Bahanda (Kota Marudu MP and Bandau assemblyman), and Tenom MP Riduan Rubin.
Anthony, 53, a former state Infrastructure Development Minister, is currently serving a prison sentence for falsifying documents related to a maintenance and service contract at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) 11 years ago.
On March 4, a three-member Court of Appeal panel chaired by Justice Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim dismissed Anthony’s final appeal, sending him to Kajang Prison to begin his three-year sentence. He was also fined RM50,000.
Anthony has since filed for a judicial review of the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the conviction and sentence. The hearing is scheduled for May 13.
His 27-year-old daughter, Priscella Anthony, has since been appointed as KDM’s acting president, with the support of her fellow deputy president, Wetrom.
Save 30% for ads-free and full access now!
