KOTA KINABALU: The announcement that Luyang assemblyman Dr Hiew King Cheu has been accepted as an MCA member is seen by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), another BN component, as a worrying development.
“Sabah MCA chief Wilfred Yong confirmed the acceptance of Hiew’s application, claiming MCA had the PM’s and Chief Minister’s approval. That is news to PBS and I am sure, also to other BN component parties,” PBS secretary general Datuk Johnny Mositun said in a statement yesterday.
He was commenting on reports in the local media that Dr Hiew, who had won the Luyang state seat on a DAP ticket against MCA’s Agnes Shim, had joined MCA after leaving DAP over differences with the party’s leadership shortly after the 13th general election.
Mositun said PBS had always adhered to the principle of consensus within the BN before accepting opposition defectors or parties into the ruling coalition.
“That was a principle adopted by BN itself, not PBS, when BN was formed. It was done to maintain mutual respect, unity and discipline within BN. It was also to uphold the dignity of BN as a respectable, principled and credible coalition,” he said.
He said when Umno’s Datuk John Ghani stood as an independent for the Kuala Penyu seat in a past general election and won, PBS respected Umno’s objections and turned down the latter’s application to rejoin BN as a PBS member.
“PBS would like to know why this BN principle of consensus based on mutual understanding and respect is not being applied by MCA in this case,” Mositun said.
He said that Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), another BN component party, had put on hold the applications from Hiew and two other state assemblymen, Datuk Jelani Hamdan and Jeremy Malajad of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), based on the same principle.
“But with MCA setting this precedent, the door is open now for any BN party, including PBS, in the future, to take in those who opposed BN in the general elections as members regardless of the feelings of their fellow BN members,” Mositun said.
He suggested that if the BN leadership no longer felt the need for the principle of consensus in such matters, perhaps it could adopt a new ‘free for all policy’.
“By this I mean allowing ‘friendly contests’ between BN members in future elections. Whoever wins can still be a BN member with no action taken against him or her for opposing the BN’s official candidate. Of course it might benefit the opposition, but then it is my view that BN also cannot have its cake and eat it,” Mositun said.