PBS not leaving BN – Mositun
Par Bersatu Sabah (PBS) yesterday rubbished the claim by its former youth leader, Datuk Jake Noin en, that the party would be leaving the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).
KENINGAU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) yesterday rubbished the claim by its former youth leader, Datuk Jake Nointien, that the party would be leaving the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN).
PBS secretary general Datuk Johnny Mositun said there was no basis to Nointien's claim and called on PBS members and supporters in the Interior Division to stay calm and focused on the coming 14th general election (GE14).
Mositun, who is also PBS Pantai Manis Division chief, said this when addressing PBS Branch and Division leaders attending a briefing on the preparations for the party's branch and division elections next year.
Preparations for the coming general election were also on the meeting agenda.
Nointein resigned as PBS Youth chief and joined Parti Warisan Sabah led by former Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
He claimed that he and his 1,119 supporters from PBS were joining Warisan and PBS would leave the BN soon.
He also claimed that PBS had started out as a good party but was no longer able to serve the state and its people effectively because it had become totally subservient to Umno.
Mositun said so far he had received feedback from PBS branches and divisions in the interior that only a few PBS members had left the party and joined other opposition parties over a period of several months.
He added that the feedback he received also indicated that all might not be well internally with Warisan and there seemed to be several factions within the party.
“That is not unusual or unexpected since Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) people in the interior districts are being wooed by several KDM parties, and with GE14 approaching, this moving in and out of one party to another happens all the time. We lose some, we gain some,” he said.
Mositun said Nointien was not being totally honest about why he left PBS and was deliberately running down his former party to project himself as a strong potential candidate in the coming general election.
“He is not being totally honest. As youth chief he was at odds with the party leadership on many issues. Then in our 29th congress he sided with the faction opposed to Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, the acting president. His position in PBS became untenable, so he left. He probably thinks his political fortunes will be better with the opposition,” Mositun said.
“He also flirted with STAR led by Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan. He asked to be fielded for the Liawan state seat and the Keningau parliamentary seat. But STAR had already identified its candidate for Liawan and Jeffrey himself had decided to stand for Parliament in Keningau. He was asked to stand in the Pensiangan parliamentary seat but Nointien insisted on Keningau and told Jeffrey to contest in Pensiangan instead. STAR would have none of it, now he's run to Warisan,” Mositun claimed.
Mositun said despite anti-BN and anti-West Malaysia sentiments being whipped up by the opposition in Sabah, the BN as a whole was strong and capable of retaining its two-thirds majority in the general election.
“PBS is still a strong political force, and we will prove our worth come GE14. Our members, especially the young generation, are ready to prove their worth and give our Huguan Siou Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan the best farewell tribute before he retires,” he said.
Mositun, who is also PBS Liawan administrator, also announced the appointment of Datuk Daniel Kinsik as deputy administrator, Marsilus Roman as secretary, and they would be assisted by Augustin Nain and Romanus Michael.