Former Sabah PKR vice chairman Kenny Chua says he is now looking at joining a local party after being sacked for joining forces with Tan Sri Musa Aman in a bid to topple the Parti Warisan Sabah-led state government.
However, the controversial Inanam assemblyman did not want to say which party he was considering.
He said on Wednesday (Aug 5) that he had been approached by “three or four” local parties.
“I will have to discuss with my supporters before I make a decision. No hurry,” said Chua who was a state assistant finance minister in the Warisan Plus govt.
Warisan Plus refers to Warisan and its allied parties, which include Upko, PKR, DAP and Parti Amanah Negara.
It is understood that among the local parties for him to consider are Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Sabah STAR and former foreign minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman’s Parti Cinta Sabah.
As for social media comments and jokes made at his expense following his defection, he said: “I take it in my stride. It’s (negative comments) not the first time. My focus is to do my job,” he added.
He maintained that he fully supported PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to be Prime Minister and did not want to have anything to do with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
“I don’t want to say anything more,” he said.
Chua was among 16 elected representatives who decided to switch sides and rally behind Musa to overthrow Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal’s Warisan government.
The attempt was foiled after Shafie sought the dissolution of the state legislative assembly to pave way for a snap election.
With Sabah state assembly now dissolved, the assemblymen – mostly with former Sabah Barisan Nasional parties – have yet to state the parties they plan to join or if they are going to contest the coming election.
Eight of them were from Sabah Umno, three from Upko, and two from Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS). They won the seats under Barisan but left to join the Warisan Plus government after the 2018 general election.
Upko left Barisan and formed a coalition with Warisan.
Chua, together with PKR nominated assemblyman Jafari Waliam (who was aligned to Datuk Seri Azmin Ali) and Sabah DAP Ronnie Loh, were the only original representatives from the Warisan Plus side to defect.
Sabah Umno and Sabah Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia have not said if they would open their doors for their return, though some are being considered, it was learned.
Amid an immediate groundswell against the crossovers, some of the assemblymen caught in the failed takeover have hinted they might retire. – The Star