KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Progressive Party is ‘wise’ enough to decide on its own political future, and Parti Bersatu Sabah is not interested to interfere with matters in SAPP.
Disclosing this, PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said SAPP left the Barisan Nasional coalition on its own accord and if it wishes to rejoin, it is all up to it.
“They left (the coalition), so what else can be done. If they wish to rejoin, they are wise and mature enough to think, so let them decide on their own,” he told reporters during the party’s Chinese New Year open house at the Airport View Hotel on Monday.
He was responding to a question on whether PBS would propose for SAPP to rejoin BN if their seats allocation discussion with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) fails.
Pairin, who is also Deputy Chief Minister cum Infrastructure Development Minister, said that whatever happened within the opposition were things that they can “only observe” and we would discuss the effects during BN meetings.
“What is important is for us, in BN, to focus on serving the people to meet their needs, and do what is best for the people,” he said.
He added that if the SAPP and PR failed to reach a deal on seats, then it would only prove that the opposition in Sabah cannot be trusted to administer the state.
Pairin said the people, specifically the fence sitters, must make the right assessment regarding all the BN government’s efforts and approaches.
On another development, he stressed that unity is an important element towards developing a nation.
“The people must be told of our spirit of patriotism and existing unity because only then would we be able to create love for one another and for the nation.
“The large crowd at the party’s open house is evidence that we are able to accept one another, respect each other’s culture and tradition, despite coming from different background, religion and ethnicity,” said Pairin.
Also present were Head of State Tun Haji Juhar Haji Mahiruddin and wife Toh Puan Norlidah Datuk RM Jasni, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and wife Datin Seri Hajah Faridah Tussin, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili as well as other cabinet ministers.