Ongkili (second right) and his deputy Anita Baranting (third left) with other division leaders casting their ballot papers during the division elections yesterday.
KOTA MARUDU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Tandek division rejected the acceptance of any elected representatives who had contested against Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates as members of any BN party members.
Its division chief Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili, said the stand was made following remarks by Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup who had reportedly been in talks with Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives who have left their parties and are trying to gain entry into BN.
“Even I have been contacted by the opposition elected representatives who wanted to jump ship days after the election. They know it was better for them to be in BN as they could not fulfil their promises to their voters.
“But we do not entertain them as PBS holds firmly by the stand of the central BN that elected representatives who were previously BN members but contested against us in the election cannot be accepted by any BN component parties without the unanimous consensus of the BN national supreme council.
“It is BN’s stand that such assemblymen or MPs are welcomed to become Independents who support BN. But any entry to a BN component party must be with prior approval of the BN supreme council,” he said.
Kurup said during a dinner with the media fraternity in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday night that PBRS is opening its doors to allow independent elected representatives to join the party.
He said any independent assemblymen in Sabah who wished to join the party are welcomed but must go through the normal process.
“There is no harm in any independent assemblymen, even to those who are not a BN member to join the party. They may feel comfortable and closer to us, and what is important they must subscribe to the BN spirit,” he said.
Two independent assemblymen from PKR and DAP, Jeremmy Ukoh Malajad of Kadamaian and Dr Hiew King Cheu of Luyang were at the dinner.
PKR defectors in Sabah late last year have expressed interest to join PBRS but as of to date, none of them have registered.
The two are Matunggong assemblyman Jelani Hamdan and Jeremmy Malajad who are fresh faces in the 60-member Sabah state legislative assembly, elected in the recent general election in May, last year. It is said that Hiew is also interested to join PBRS.
Maximus added that it was natural for PBRS which has only one MP and one assemblyman, to want to increase its members just as the desire of other political parties.
“But there are rules and decorum to abide by and we cannot do things at our whims and fancy. Kurup said there is no harm in any independent assemblymen joining PBRS. There is no harm for him but a lot of harm and destruction for BN,” he said.
Maximus said there were also those who were not nominated to contest and have deserted their respective parties and now trying to return to BN’s fold after doing damage to BN during the election campaign.
“If we easily accept them back we are just encouraging disgruntled members in future to contest against BN and return after the fight is over. We will also be encouraging hopping troops.
“Therefore, we cannot be selfish but think of the interest of BN,” he said, adding that BN’s principles must be upheld in order for the coalition to thrive under the basis of cooperation and unity among its component parties.
“Kurup is a veteran politician and he should know this and refrain from causing instability in the BN family,” he added.