KENINGAU: Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) deputy youth information chief Melitus Anastasius said former PKR assemblyman Jelani Hamdan had no right to tell PBRS what to do with regard to its objectives and visions.
“PBRS has never enticed him as judging from his requests. PBRS is better off without him (Jelani),” he said in a statement here yesterday.
Melitus said as far as PBRS was concerned, its door was wide open for people who subscribed to its constitution,and without any conditions attached.
According to him, PBRS is a multiracial party guided by the Barisan Nasional (BN) power-sharing concept.
If any changes in the party were made, it had to go through the normal procedure as stipulated in its constitution within the concept of collective decision, he said.
“Thus, we are not subjected to directives from any one person or individual as a condition to suit his personal interest,” he said in response Jelani’s statements published in a local paper yesterday.
Melitus said the needs and aspirations of the people of Sabah were always in PBRS’ heart.
The basis of PBRS’ struggles, among others are religious freedom in Sabah, land matters should remain under the jurisdiction of the state government, and native customary rights and traditions must be respected and protected by the government.
In return, the people of Sabah, particularly its party members, pledge their undivided support and loyalty to the BN government and the nation, he said.
“Therefore, no matter what other people perceive of PBRS, its sincerity, loyalty and consistency in its struggle, is always being transformed from time to time in accordance with the transformation programmes initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak.
“Jelani has his own freewill to choose any pro-BN party, but it is too overboard to urge PBRS to make changes to the party just to suit his personal interest,” he said.
In his statement published in a local paper yesterday, Jelani said he would join PBRS if the latter was willing to make significant changes to the party to suit current political needs.
He said the changes must especially conform to the needs of the Kadazan, Dusun and Murut communities.
He was commenting on speculation that he and Kedamaian assemblyman Jeremy Malajad would be joining PBRS.
“But it won’t happen unless there is a major reshuffle within PBRS to suit the current political needs,” he said.
According to him, PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup had been trying hard to entice him and Jeremy to join PBRS.
Nevertheless, Jelani said the news article about him joining PBRS was fabricated.