Maximus mum about Tambunan seat

PUTRAJAYA: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) acting president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili is still keeping mum on whether he would contest the state seat of Tambunan in the 14th general election (GE14).

The Kota Marudu member of parliament said he did receive an offer to return to Sabah but the matter was still under discussion.

“There’s no decision yet. It’s in the process of discussion with Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is also Tambunan incumbent.

“We’ll know in a week or two, or on nomination day,” he said when asked to comment on his plans to return to Sabah and serve at state level.

Maximus was met by reporters after presenting excellence awards to 56 civil servants under his Energy, Green Technology and Water Ministry here yesterday.

The three-term federal minister who took over as acting PBS president in January, expressed confidence that the party was ready to wrest back the state and parliamentary seats it lost in GE13.

In GE13, PBS contested in 13 state constituencies, winning seven, which are Tambunan, Tanjung Aru, Melalap, Kiulu, Kundasang, Labuk and Tandek, and lost Api-Api, Inanam, Tamparuli, Kadamaian, Matunggong and Sri Tanjong. It contested in five parliamentary constituencies, winning four, namely, Keningau, Kota Marudu, Batu Sapi and Tawau, and lost in Kota Kinabalu.