By Joe Fernandez | Malaysiakini

A Sabah DAP ‘carrot’ that a non-Muslim KadazanDusunMurut (KDM) will be the chief minister in Kota Kinabalu – should Pakatan Rakyat form the state government – has revealed the division in the opposition alliance on the issue.

Sabah DAP vice-chairperson Edward Ewol Mujie had given the assurance, in urging Sahahans to vote for Pakatan in the next election.

However, former Sabah PKR deputy chief Daniel John Jambun pointed out that Pakatan component parties are currently led by non-KDM.

“So, how is a KDM, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, going to be chief minister if Pakatan wins the elections?” he asked.

jeffrey kitingan sabah 310508Daniel also reminded Edward that PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim had been adamantly against Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan (left) becoming the Sabah PKR chief.

Instead, he had installed a Bajau – Ahmad Thamrin – as the state chief even though Jeffrey had been endorsed by a majority of the 25 divisions.

Even the much-touted PKR ‘peace plan’ had only resulted in Kota Kinabalu PKR division chief Christina Liew being appointed the deputy state chief. The rest of the Sabah line-up has yet to be announced.

Sabah PKR’s powerful KDM task force, co-chaired by Daniel, has deep reservations about the issue. It sees the idea of a non-Muslim KDM chief minister as a form of divisive politics a la Peninsular Malaysia.

Daniel says he personally does not care whether the next chief minister is Muslim or non-Muslim, Chinese or non-Chinese.

“What we want is a candidate who will head a transparent and accountable state administration,” he said.

The state administration must be based on merit and democracy, he added, and it should be free of nepotism, corruption and the politics of patronage.

Pledge is ‘discriminatory’

Former Sabah PKR state secretary Kanul Gindol said the DAP’s promise smacks of discrimination against Muslims.

Kanul also alleged Anwar had insisted that the next Sabah chief minister has to be a Muslim, as Muslims are now a clear majority in the state.

identity card sabah fiasco“Obviously Anwar is including the illegal immigrants who have acquired a MyKad and entered the electoral rolls.”

The idea of a non-Muslim KDM chief minister is a poor joke by the opposition alliance, said PBS vice-president Herbert Timbon Lagadan, since “there’s nothing to bar a non-Muslim KDM in BN from becoming chief minister”.

“If Anwar is unwilling to allow a non-Muslim KDM, Jeffrey, to be Sabah PKR chief, how is he going to allow one from the community to be chief minister?” he asked.

“First of all, Edward should ask Lim Kit Siang to allow him to be Sabah DAP chief before he talks about a non-Muslim KDM chief minister.”

Herbert alleged that the KDM have been sidelined in DAP as well, and that “(DAP is) in no position to preach to others”.