PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said integrity would be the main criterion for nominating the party's candidates for the upcoming Sabah polls.

“It is the same if we pick someone without commitment. The issue is not which ethnic group or place they come from but whether they are people of integrity,” he said when launching the Sabah PKR election machinery at the Sabah International Convention Centre here last night.

Anwar said he had agreed in principle to give Sabah PKR greater freedom to decide on its candidates.

PKR candidates should be committed in championing the people regardless of their race or religion, said Anwar, who is also the Port Dickson Member of Parliament.

Also present at the event were PKR Advisory Council chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Sabah PKR chairman Datuk Christina Liew.

The Election Commission has set Sept 12 for nominations and Sept 26 as polling day.