PBS, Sabah STAR to sign deal

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Sabah STAR will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on seats to be contested in the state election.

Leaders of the two parties are scheduled to sign the MoU at the Hongkod Koissan in Penampang on Thursday.

Kadazandusun Huguan Siou (paramount leader) Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan will witness the ceremony which comes after months of negotiations between the two parties.

PBS and STAR are hoping to strengthen their native bases in about 23 non-Muslim native majority areas of predominantly Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus communities.

PBS, led by Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, has handed over the reins of the party to his deputy Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam who is having ill health.

Sabah STAR, led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, has been working on a cooperation formula to strengthen their native political bases.

The two parties are part of the seven-member Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ruling coalition government and are looking at ensuring that neither party clashes with each other in the next state elections to be held by next year.

In the 2020 Sabah elections, both parties fielded their own candidates who went up against GRS in certain constituencies.

PBS won seven seats and Sabah STAR six seats, with many blaming internal sabotage and animosity among supporters for GRS losses in several nonMuslim seats.

For some, the MoU is a forerunner towards efforts to unify non-Muslim native parties that emerged after the fall of the PBS-led state government under Pairin in 1994.

Sabah UiTM senior lecturer Tony Paridi Bagang said that the MoU aims to cement Kadazandusun, Murut and Rungus support for PBSSabah STAR that leverages the combined grassroots backing of both parties,” he said.

However, it could potentially complicate seat allocation for other GRS component parties like Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) in non-Muslim native areas.

Similarly, he said Pakatan Harapan’s native-based Upko may face similar hurdles in securing similar seats if GRS and Pakatan decide on an electoral pact.