PENAMPANG: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) will continue using the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery to bring change to Sabah.
The party’s deputy president, Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili, however warned that if BN does not care and persistently does not listen to PBS, it should not be angry if PBS decided not to support the national coalition.
Presently, BN does listen by about 51 percent, he said.
“But we are not satisfied yet.”
Maximus provided a scenario of that of a person taking a bus to the Sacred Heart and meeting his boss there.
“His boss asked him how he was doing and he replied that it was difficult,” he said.
“He told his boss – Susahlah bos, tiada kenaikan, tiada keturunan, tiada kedudukan (very difficult bos, no promotion, no offspring, no position),” he told the delegates at the PBS’ Annual Delegates Conferenceheld at the KDCA near here yesterday.
Then he added, “If we have no position in BN, what is the use for us to remain in BN?”
He then mentioned that PBS will search for another mechanism if the present mechanism was not perfect and was incapable of helping the people.
Maximus then urged all the delegates to work together and to be united in helping the people, stressing that this will help strengthen the party.
“This is the struggle that our president has begun 31 years ago,” he reminded.
At the same time, he also objected to claims that PBS was no longer as it was before.
He said that PBS had continued to voice out the people’s concern.
“There are ways. Some shout, but even a whisper could still be heard and bring about impact,” he said.
Maximus also raised four other issues that were debated during the conference – the role of women and youth in the party leadership, the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, the Native Customary Rights (NCR) on land and that Malaysia Agreement 1963.
He assured the women and youth in the party that there were avenues for them to play their roles and strengthen the party.
He also commended the women taking part in the debate yesterday for the fluidity of their speeches.
“It is a proof that PBS does not lack women leaders,” he said.
With regards to the native customary rights (NCR) land issues, Maximus, who was also the chairman of a committee at the federal cabinet overseeing issues related to the indigenous people, including those in Sabah and Sarawak, said that the federal government had allocated RM80 million to help in surveying NCR lands.
He said that priority had been given to the Kinabatangan area, Sugud, Pensiagan and other rural areas.
On the RCI issue, he said that PBS and the party leadership had been slammed repeatedly concerning the outcome of the inquiry.
“A lot has been achieved and done. Tan Sri (Pairin) has conducted four to five meetings and two reports have been submitted to the federal government,” he said.
He urged the related departments to brief the BN leaders and component parties to help raise the people’s awareness on what has been achieved so far.
He also said that the present president of the Philippines had already expressed his willingness to work together with the Malaysian government to bring back citizens from the Philippines who have been staying illegally in Sabah.
“We can see a strict action being undertaken on the presence of illegal immigrants who are living in Sabah,” he said.
Additionally, he also spoke of the need to reissue and re-register the identification cards in Sabah.
“This has not been implemented. The central government opined that this would be difficult to implement. But they have not said no. PBS will stand by this approach so that it will be accomplished,” he assured.
Maximus added that this could be done in stages, starting with people who had been charged with court for holding fraud identification cards and those whose identity was questionable.
And with regards to the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), he said that among the issues they were looking at were on the evolution of power such as the High Court of Borneo.
Additionally, they will also look into the representation of qualified Sabahans and Sarawakians holding the post of directors in the federal service as well as government-linked companies (GLCs).
“Presently, it is about 51 percent for both the federal service as well as GLCs in Sabah. If it is less than 70 percent for Sabahans we will continue to fight and fight and fight for our children as promised in the MA63,” he said.
During his winding up speech, Maximus also warned the delegates against underestimating the leadership of the party, Tan SriJoseph Pairin Kitingan.
He said that president of the party’s leadership was very clear and Pairin was a leader filled with integrity.
He also said that Pairin remained very passionate in fighting for the people.
“He would never allow the people to be betrayed by irresponsible people and would constantly remind us that our fight was for the people of Sabah. He said that we should always listen to the sentiments and the wishes of the people and that this should be the guiding light for PBS and for the State,” he said concerning Pairin, who was also present at the conference.
He went on to reiterate Pairin’s announcement of wanting to take some time off for rest.
“He will continue to be the president but I will carry the duty of the president,” said Maximus.
He also expressed that they will continue to be faithful to the struggle of the party and to the party’s leadership.