KOTA KINABALU: The historical aspect of political leap-frogging has to be understood in the right context, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) vice-president Datuk Herbert T Lagadan said.
“If we are very patriotic in demanding the true historical fact of Sabah independence and formation of our Malaysian nation, then it is not wrong to set the true historical record of party hopping in Sabah,” the Kadamaian assemblyman said.
According to Herbert, during the early years of Sabah independence, UPKO (Donald Stephens) was denied the opportunity to govern Sabah when one of its elected representatives jumped to Usno.
Similarly in 1994, a similar case happened when PBS lost its grip on the government after a number of its elected representatives deserted the party, he said, adding that all that happened after that had been recorded in history as outlined by Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili.
“I do believe the people of Sabah would not sanction unprincipled leaders in any party, including Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Ukin, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Bumburing, Senator Datuk Maijol Mahap and others who were very vocal in supporting and giving praises to BN while they held government and party portfolios in the past.
“In the final analysis, it’s not what the individual perception that matters but the final and wise judgment of the electorate,” he said.