KENINGAU: There is no space in Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) for those who are just riding on the party for a ticket to become a “Yang Berhormat”.
Its acting President Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili stressed this, saying that a potential candidate must first earn the respect and trust of PBS leadership and show that he or she was a winnable material for Barisan Nasional.
“(But) If you join a political party just for the sake of wanting to be a candidate, then PBS is not for you.
“We have bigger goals, because the party struggle is more than just a platform for aspiring leaders who have all these short term goals,” he said when meeting the PBS Liawan Division leaders, here yesterday.
The Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister said of course many wanted to become candidates.
“Like in all political parties, there are those who harbour an incurable obsession to be election candidates. But there are limited seats available, so potentials need to be patient and play their roles accordingly.
“For one to become a winnable candidate, one needs to be patient and true to the party’s struggles. Eventually, your turn will come.
“Take the party president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan as an example. He has expressed his intention to not stand in the next general election. He is making way for a new person to take up the responsibility.
“Earn your place in order to be winnable candidates. There is a party protocol, as well as requirements of loyalty to the party,” he said, in reacting to the resignation on Firday of former state PBS Youth chief and Liawan PBS divisional chief, Datuk Jake Jikulin Nointin and a few others.
He assured that PBS remains steadfast in fulfilling its political struggle and objectives of the party, and while there had been no change of direction, reinvention of approaches were obvious.
Ongkili said there had been added aggression in pursuing the party’s objectives, especially in the area of safeguarding and protection of the state’s rights, sovereignty and security, as well as ensuring a balanced development between Peninsula and Sabah, particularly the rural areas.
“He (Nointin) claimed that there have been no progress in PBS, therefore saw there was no basis for him to stay with the party.
“His exit, together with five other branch leaders, however, has no effect on the Liawan Division. It is still intact. The division will continue and there are more than enough local leaders to fill the post vacated by them,” said Ongkili.
He added that Nointin and his diehard supporters have yet to submit their resignation letters officially to the PBS Headquarters.
“We are monitoring the current movements in the Liawan division, to see who leaves and stay, and will let the party’s Secretary General (Datuk Johnny Mositun) to temporarily handle the coordination of the division and branches until the dust settles,” he said.
Ongkili said the party had long known the reason behind Nointin’s decision to leave PBS because he had voiced his intention to become a candidate publicly.
“He had confided to Divisional leaders before that if he is not fielded as a candidate in the coming general election, he will ‘langgar’ (leave),” said Ongkili.
PBS had been observing Nointin’s recent movements, and was aware that he had been moving around Liawan, Bingkor and even Tambunan to carry out social and political programmes without informing the division chiefs in the respective areas.
“His action of consistently not informing division chiefs of his own programmes is totally disrespectful of PBS’ structure.”
Ongkili said Nointin should mirror himself before criticising the party because based on public feedback, him as the PBS Youth Chief was just “business as usual”, with the exco’s activities lacking in creativity, despite many ideas given by the party’s Supreme Council to strengthen their wing, including running training programmes and recruiting new members.
He said there were many leaders in the existing line-up who can do better. The PBS Liawan supporters’ view is that he left because there was very little opportunity to be a candidate under the PBS flag.
“We have yet to determine who and who will be fielded, but he is just impatient. That being said, we, in PBS, wish him all the best. For PBS, life must go on,” Ongkili concluded.
Present at the event were PBS Vice President and Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Radin Malleh, PBS vice president and political secreatary to the Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Daniel Kinsik, State Exco Youth Movement Vice Chief, Christopher Mandut, Liawan PBS vice chief Ramanus Michael as well as several PBS Supreme Council members and some 200 PBS members from Liawan Division.