Supreme council member and Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah today announced his candidacy for vice-president in the two-day party election scheduled to begin from Oct 30.

Speaking to reporters in Kota Kinabalu, Ansari, who felt honored to accept the more than 25 nominations for the post, said it was time a Sabahan PKR leader be given the opportunity to become one of the four elected vice presidents.

"Based on the current political scenario, especially after the 2008 general election, the BN federal government has made some adjustments, including appointing four ministers from Sabah, and local people heading Federal departments and agencies in the state.

"Likewise, Umno, the backbone of the present federal government, has also elected a Sabahan as one of its three vice-presidents.

"I believe there is also a need for political equation in PKR and that's why, I hereby humbly accept the nomination to serve as vice-president of PKR," he said, adding that the current PKR vice-president from Sabah, Jeffrey Kitingan, held a nominated post.

On the impending Batu Sapi by-election, following the death of the constituency's MP Edmund Chong Ket Wah in a road

accident last Saturday, Ansari said the state PKR committe would meet in Kota Kinabalu tomorrow to discuss preparations for the by-election.

"Pakatan representatives will then have a special meeting with leaders of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) to ensure only one opposition candidate will take on the mighty BN candidate in Batu Sapi.

In the 2008 general election, Chong had won the Batu Sapi parliamentary seat by beating independent candidate Chung Kwong Wing by a majority of 3,708 votes.

Chong had garnered 9,479 votes.

- Bernama