KOTA KINABALU: Opposition parties in Sabah must come together as a united front if it wants to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th General Election.
Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing said Sabah’s opposition room is very crowded as it is the state that has the most number of political parties in the country.
The situation demands that the opposition get together to discuss the need to set up a united front to fight Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 14th General Election (GE14), the Tamparuli assemblyman said at the launching of PCS here yesterday.
“If we are not united, the rakyat will not support us and it will be a repeat of the 13th General Election. We cannot disappoint the rakyat in Sabah. I have always said that a party is as good as the leaders and the members that it has, as history has proven that no matter how ‘beautiful’ a party’s brand is, if its leadership is not in line with the aspirations and needs of the people, it will not get their support.
“Today, we have seen a change in the rakyat’s aspirations and they are now demanding that the state’s rights as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 are met. A majority of Sabahans are of the opinion that only a local-based party can champion their rights and we are happy to note that many Sabahan leaders have left Peninsular-based parties to either join or set up a local-based party.
“To them, I say congratulations and welcome home. Sabahans are now united in their wish to have their rights championed and they want to see a united front from us. Therefore, it is time for us to put our self interest aside and sacrifice for our beloved state,” he said.
Bumburing, in calling for unity from the opposition in the fight for the state’s rights, said that it is for this reason that Gabungan Sabah, which was earlier known as United Sabah Alliance (USA), is being set up. It comprises SAPP, Sabah STAR and PCS.
PCS, he said, is also ready to work together with the parties that will be set up by former Umno vice president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and former PKR Sabah chairman Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin.
“We are also ready to work with peninsular-based opposition parties on the national level but they must remember the sentiments of Sabahans and allow local parties to manage the state.
“We hope to come to an agreement on the matter as soon as possible so that we can start preparing for the 14th General Election. The rakyat want a ‘one to one’ fight and what happened in the 13th General Election should be a lesson to all,” he stressed.
According to Bumburing, when PCS first made its appearance in the state and country’s political field, the people thought of it as one of the many parties that makes an appearance when election is around the corner. And when the community have negative perception of a party, it will not augur well for its development and they will not support it, he stressed.
“PCS is barely a year old but we are confident that its leaders, which are made up of veterans and new leaders, can bring the party to a brighter future,” he said, adding that PCS has set up 26 divisions throughout the state and is in the process of setting up more.
He also congratulated the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for uncovering the graft in the state Water Department and hoped that their investigations will lead to those responsible be brought to face legal action.
The people of Sabah are utterly dismayed that while they are struggling with fast rising cost of living, those entrusted to manage development projects which are supposed to benefit the people, squandered the money for themselves.
“The people now know why, in spite of the announcement of billions of ringgit for development, very little is seen implemented on the ground. Sabah has been said to be a fixed deposit by BN and the people here have been wondering what it means. Now we know that this is the fixed deposit, however it is not a deposit in the bank but in the office and house,” he claimed.
The MACC had detained five people, including the director and deputy director of a government agency to assist in the investigations into the case.
Among others, the MACC confiscated more than RM114.5 million in cash, jewellery worth RM3.64 million and 127 land grants worth RM30 million, making the case the biggest in the history of the MACC.