KENINGAU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Sook division chief Datuk Bernard Maraat has been taken to task for allegedly announcing his intention to contest as an independent candidate in the coming general election if he is not nominated as a Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate.
Maraat’s alleged statement warrants deterrent action by PBS, according to Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) Sook Youth chief Kahirin Bador in a statement yesterday.
“I therefore urge PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan to take action and sack Maraat from the party for blatantly going against the BN power sharing principle,” he said.
According to Kahirin, the term ‘BN independent candidate’ does not exist as it is the Coalition’s practice to sack any member who contests against BN.
Kahirin alleged that Maraat, the former PBRS secretary general who left the party because he was unhappy at not being re-nominated in the last general election, had declared during the division’s annual general meeting recently his intention to contest as an independent candidate for the Sook state seat if he is not nominated for the 13th general election.
He was also alleged to have requested for the Pensiangan parliamentary seat held by PBRS president Tan Sri Joseph Kurup and Nabawan seat currently held by Datuk Bobbey Suan of UPKO.
Kahirin said both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman will not entertain this type of request.
He also was of the opinion that Maraat’s statement can disrupt the unity and harmony of the BN in Pensiangan and that it reflects the childishness as well as arrogance of the former Pensiangan member of parliament.
According to Kahirin, he believes that Maraat’s statement is an early warning sign that he will sabotage the BN candidate.
BN and PBS leaders must take heed of this warning sign and get rid of such a person from the Coalition, he said and stressed that failure to take action against people like this could cause BN’s downfall in Pensiangan.