Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Sabah STAR) will hold a joint Christmas open house this year to signify the beginning of collaboration between the two parties. This decision was reached during the latest Supreme Council Meeting of PBS held in Penampang.
Chaired by PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam, the meeting also endorsed the formation of a joint committee between the two parties to discuss areas of beneficial cooperation. The committee, headed by Datuk Julita Majungki from PBS and Datuk Edward Linggu from Sabah STAR, is responsible for leading these discussions.
In November, it was reported that the two parties were in talks to strengthen unity at grassroot level in response to calls for sustainable cooperation. This cooperation is expected to further strengthen the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) bloc.
During the meeting, it was announced that PBS President Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili has extended the Presidential Task Force until March 31 next year. This six-person task force was entrusted to run party affairs temporarily since June while Ongkili recuperates from suffering a stroke earlier this year.
Gunsalam also mentioned that the Supreme Council members discussed the recent amendments to the party’s constitution, which are pending approval from the Registrar of Societies (RoS). As a result, it was decided that the current practice of holding annual general meetings (AGMs) for all branches and divisions will continue from January to June in 2024, culminating in the General Congress later that year.
The meeting also reiterated PBS’s commitment to fully supporting the current GRS-Pakatan Harapan (GRS-PH) state government led by Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor. PBS is also planning to conduct an in-house retreat early next year to prepare the Supreme Council members and division heads for a possible early election.
