See: State BN leaders should be cautiously suspicious of PBS entry

KUCHING: Leaders of the state Barisan Nasional ( BN) should ponder on the intention of Parti Bersatu Sabah to spread its presence in Sarawak, and how it would operate alongside BN component parties here.

Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, who is state PKR vicechairman, highlighted the fact that it was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Sr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – not PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan – who broke the news about the party eyeing to spread its wings to Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

The deputy premier, who is also Umno vice-president, announced on Saturday that PBS could go ahead with its expansion plan following the approval from Registrar of Societies (ROS).

“The timing of the ROS approval is inopportune as Sarawak state election is just around the corner. Does this PBS move serve for the greater interests of Umno in Sarawak, or it is sending signals to Sarawak BN leadership with regard to the acceptance of leaders who have defected BN component parties and now applying to contest as BN candidates?” See said in a press statement yesterday.

The PKR man also saw PBS’ decision as a clear endorsement of a national party being the better approach to further the interests and rights of Sarawak and Sabah, as well as the people of both states.

“The most determinant factors have been the system of federalism practised in Malaysia and the fact that local East Malaysian parties are fragmented by design, with most being small in terms of numbers. These have contributed to the dominance of Umno in the BN setup, which further weakens the electoral strengthen of the state-based coalition partners in the two East Malaysian states.

“Under the present political circumstances, a coalition of national parties that embrace pluralism would ensure that the interests of East Malaysians would be better served.”

See also observed that PBS was not the first to change its course from being a state-based political entity to gaining a nationwide foothold.

He said United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation ( Upko) from Sabah and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party ( SPDP) from Sarawak had earlier set up branches in Peninsular Malaysia, while State Reform Party (STAR) of Sarawak had also set up its Sabah Chapter.

“Will this PBS move fuels PBB ( Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu), SUPP (Sarawak United People’s Party), PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) and SPDP spreading their wings to Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia?” See noted that PBS had, through the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association ( KDCA) of which it had much influence, set up branches nationwide, particularly in the peninsula.

He said if PBS wanted to make the cultural platform political, it would be accused of effecting the change to serve its political purposes than the greater interests of the Sabahans outside Sabah.

“However, it is inevitable for PBS to beget changes, for it to grow and maintain its political relevance. In its short history, it had won three state elections on its own — having even claimed two-thirds of all state seats in 1986 — but it was allocated only 13 seats to contest in the recent state election.

“It also has only seven assemblymen in the 60-seat Sabah State Assembly, while its coalition partner Umno won 31 out of 32 seats it contested in.”