Delegates of the state’s oldest political party, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), will discuss the possibility of a merger with Sabah STAR over the weekend. The leaders of PBS are leaving the decision on a merger or closer working relations with Sabah STAR to their delegates at the 38th party congress. This discussion was brought up by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, the leader of Sabah STAR.
During the opening of the party’s Youth and Wanita wings annual meeting in Kota Kinabalu, PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam gave delegates the freedom to openly discuss the proposal for a merger made by Sabah STAR. He mentioned that the best mechanism for the merger or a working relationship would be decided by the party members.
Dr. Gunsalam, currently heading the party’s special force due to the absence of party president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili who is unwell, clarified that PBS already has a working relationship with Sabah STAR as they both form part of the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition. He suggested that the two parties cooperate more closely, considering their struggles are similar.
Dr. Gunsalam added that the political landscape in Sabah has changed, and no single party can dominate the state as in the past. He emphasized the need to strengthen collaboration within GRS and assured that the top leadership of PBS is fully committed to working with GRS in the next state election.
It is worth noting that several senior leaders from PBS had left the party after the fall of the PBS government in 1994, leading to the formation of breakaway parties. Jeffrey Kitingan, the younger brother of former PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, also left PBS before founding Sabah STAR. Currently, PBS holds seven state seats and one seat in Parliament, while Sabah STAR holds six state seats and an MP. Both parties represent multi-racial constituencies.
In their opening speeches, PBS youth chief Christopher Mandut and Wanita chief Datin Malianah Ugau emphasized the importance of discussing the merger proposal. The main PBS congress will be opened by the party’s premier advisor Pairin, and Ongkili’s policy speech will be read out by Dr. Gunsalam during the congress.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
