TAKE
OVER ....If Pairin gives up public service, the Kadazandusuns could pick
someone with a family connection to take over.
By : CALVIN KABARON
PENAMPANG: There’s a certain
nervousness in the Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) ranks in the run-up to next week’s
three-day party congress. It could well be the final one for its founder,
Joseph Pairin Kitingan, at least as President.
With others in the party hierarchy
expected to either shore up their positions or jockey for them, the congress is
also expected to be closely monitored by many in the state hoping for a hint of
what course the party will take.
Drafts of Pairin’s policy
speech are being vetted by the top leadership, said sources who revealed that
it focuses on pressing issues facing Sabah, such as the illegal immigrants,
preparations for the general election and eventual change of leadership.
But Pairin, now 72, could
still deviate from the text and shock members and supporters of the party,
Umno’s staunchest ally in the Sabah Barisan Nasional coalition government.
While few outside PBS have
commented on the Nov 20-22 congress yet, many within the party are expecting a
bit of drama.
They remember the theatrics
at the Umno general assembly several years ago when Dr Mahathir Mohamad caused
a sensation by announcing he was stepping down as party president, causing many
to break down in tears and beg him not to withdraw his resignation. As it turned
out, he relented after shedding a few tears himself.
A similar outbreak of
emotion could happen at the iconic Hongkod Koisaan hall next week if Pairin
does something similar.
Pairin founded PBS in 1985.
After helming the state government for nine years, he was deposed from his post
as chief minister in 1994 by the current government and was state opposition
leader for several years until the party was re-admitted into the BN in 2002.
He is now one of Chief
Minister Musa Aman’s deputies and has been the MP for Keningau and state
representative for Tambunan uninterruptedly since 1976. He is also Huguan Siou
or paramount chief of the Kadazandusun people, taking over the honorific
position from former chief minister Fuad Stephens who was killed in an air crash
in 1976.
Pairin is also president of
the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA), a position that gives him
absolute control of community affairs.
In
turmoil
Several months ago, however,
he set in motion plans to retire from politics by announcing that this coming
13th general election would be the last he would contest.
Some say the decision was
prompted by the gradual loss of support for the party by his own people and was
his way of delaying a revolt against him. Others say his family circle has been
pressuring him to retreat from active politics after this congress.
Pairin could take a middle
path by relinquishing the parliamentary seat of Keningau and only contesting
the Tambunan state seat. That would be welcome news for his younger brother Jeffrey,
who is in the opposition and is eager to stand in Keningau and possibly the
Bingkor state seat.
Sources say that Pairin has
opted to officiate at the party’s youth and women’s wing meetings tomorrow (Nov
20), something that is a bit unusual. His deputy was usually tasked with these
duties in the past in keeping with the protocol of other political parties.
It could yet be his way to
gauge the party’s maturity at all levels.
PBS information chief,
Johnny Mositun, said the youth and women’s wing meetings will be held on the
first day of the congress, while the official opening of the congress will be held
the following day in the afternoon followed by the party’s traditional Unity
Night or “Malam Bersatu”.
The congress proper only
takes place on the final day on Nov 22 with the focus being on Pairin’s two
speeches – his policy speech in the morning and a closing speech in the
evening.
According to party insiders,
Pairin was asked to stay and contest in the coming general election by all
members of his supreme council including his top four potential heirs – deputy
presidents, Maximus Ongkili, Dr Yee Moh Chai, Almudin Kaida and
secretary-general Henrynus Amin.
But not all are worried
about the prospect of losing Pairin. At least one of the senior leaders was not
very “enthusiastic”, as one source put it, to join the chorus of people urging
their president to stay.
Declining to reveal who the
person was, the source said that he could be manoeuvring for the post-
Musa-Pairin period and appears to be in Shafie Apdal’s camp.
PBS members are also wary of
the potent threat to PBS seats in the coming election from Jeffrey who was also
a founder of PBS in 1985.
Jeffrey
to benefit
If Pairin retreats from
public service, the Kadazandusuns could well favour someone with a family
connection to take over. Jeffrey’s State Reform Party or STAR has reportedly
already drawn away support from PBS in many constituencies.
While PBS leaders will not
admit it, there are claims that some party branches and divisions are suddenly
having a problem attracting the minimum number of members to hold their
meetings including annual general meetings.
Some say that in many of the
party’s divisional AGMs this year, fewer than 200 people turned up unlike
before PBS rejoined the BN when the turnout would number well over 500.
Many disaffected former
supporters and members have reportedly quietly joined STAR which claims a
membership of over 170,000 in a mere 10 months of its existence in the state.
The disenfranchised natives
empathise with Jeffrey who they view as having borne the humiliation and
hardship of imprisonment for almost three years under the now repealed Internal
Security Act while Pairin and PBS reaped the benefits.
Party supporters have not
discounted the possibility of Pairin being humiliated in the coming election
even if he wins as it could be by a diminishing majority.
A local political pundit who
requested anonymity said: “There is nothing more that Pairin can do now than he
could not have done in his peak year. PBS should see itself post-Pairin era,
but it just cannot shake away its mentality that PBS is Pairin and Pairin is
PBS.” (FMT)
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) tidak pernah berganjak daripada matlamat asalnya untuk menyuarakan isu-isu berkaitan kepentingan rakyat di negeri .
ReplyDeleteTan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan berkata, rakyat Sabah sendiri boleh menilai prestasi parti itu termasuk perjuangan untuk mendapatkan Suruhanjaya Diraja (RCI) mengenai kebanjiran PTI di negeri ini.
ReplyDeleteperjuangan parti itu sejak 1985 tidak pernah berubah dan ia tetap disuarakan sehingga kini.
ReplyDeleteTimbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata kesetiaan dan keikhlasan Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) sebagai anggota komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) amat dihargai terutama dalam membangunkan negara.
ReplyDeleteMuhyiddin berkata beliau melihat perjuangan PBS, parti pimpinan Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan itu, terus relevan dan semakin mendapat sokongan serta kepercayaan rakyat.
ReplyDeleteTan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan menegaskan pucuk pimpinan parti itu kekal bersatu di bawah perjuangan bersama Barisan Nasional (BN).
ReplyDeleteBagi pucuk pimpinan PBS, ingin ditekankan perjalanan perjuangan berterusan harus dalam kerajaan BN. Ini yang ingin kita bawa kepada penduduk di kawasan pedalaman
ReplyDeletewalaupun banyak cabaran yang terpaksa ditempuhi dalam arena politik negara sepanjang tempoh itu, namun PBS berjaya menghadapinya dengan penuh ketabahan, keyakinan dan kekuatan
ReplyDelete"Apabila mengimbau semula sejarah dan liku-liku perjuangan Parti Bersatu Sabah, saya begitu terharu dengan sokongan rakyat dan pemimpin parti yang selama ini begitu tabah untuk bersama-sama memperjuangkan nasib rakyat Sabah.
ReplyDelete"Terima kasih atas sokongan ini dan marilah kita terus memperbaharui tekad untuk terus menabur bakti kepada rakyat dan negeri ini demi kebaikan semua," katanya ketika berucap pada majlis sambutan hari jadinya yang ke-72 di Dewan Putra Luyang, dekat sini malam tadi.
PBS merupakan parti terawal di negeri ini yang "lantang" memperjuangkan isu berkaitan dengan masalah pendatang tanpa izin (PTI) di Sabah dan konsisten dalam membangkitkan isu itu dalam setiap mesyuarat agung tahunannya termasuk mencadangkan penubuhan Suruhanjaya Siasatan Diraja (RCI) bagi menyiasat kemasukan PTI sejak parti berkenaan ditubuhkan hampir tiga dekad yang lepas.
ReplyDeletePerjuangan selama 27 tahun itu akhirnya membuahkan hasil apabila Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengumumkan penubuhan RCI dan termanya pada minggu lepas, yang disambut baik dan dilihat oleh rakyat Sabah sebagai jalan penyelesaian terbaik kepada masalah yang tidak berkesudahan itu.
ReplyDeletePBS yang diterajui Pairin turut memainkan peranan penting dalam merealisasikan penubuhan Kolej Kadazandusun Murut (Kolej KDM) di negeri ini seperti yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri dalam lawatannya ke Tambunan, di bahagian pedalaman Sabah, awal tahun ini.
ReplyDeletePertembungan untuk jawatan-jawatan dalam PKR menyaksikan Sabah menjadi tempat utama.
ReplyDeleteAgak menarik apabila BN mengumumkan Sabah sebagai fixed deposit mereka. Manakala PKR menerusi Azmin Ali turut menagih sokongan daripada para pemimpin tertinggi dan berpengaruh Sabah bagi membolehkan dia menjawat jawatan Timbalan Presiden PKR meskipun menyedari Zaid Ibrahim mempunyai sokongan yang lebih kuat di Negeri Di Bawah Bayu itu
ReplyDeleteDan di Sabah jugalah, Anwar berjaya mencipta keajaiban dengan mengalih sokongan kepada Ghafar Baba kepada dirinya, menyaksikan bekas guru yang menjadi veteran UMNO dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri pada waktu itu, terpaksa menarik diri dan meletakkan jawatan sekaligus menyaksikan Anwar Ibrahim naik kuasa.
ReplyDeletePermainan politik di Sabah diakui sangat BERSENI dan sukar diramal. Malah ramai yang beranggapan, Sabah telah mencapai kematangan berpolitik kerana politik di Negeri Di Bawah Bayu itu tidak melibatkan keagamaan, sekaligus menyukarkan PAS untuk bertapak di negeri tersebut memandangkan tanpa isu agama, siapalah PAS melainkan tidak lebih daripada kain buruk yang digunakan untuk menyapu muntah orang mabuk tuak sahaja.
ReplyDeleteKerana keunikan Sabah itulah, kebanyakan ahli politik dari Semenanjung cuba berlagak Hero atau SUPERHERO. Mereka datang ke Sabah dengan membawa imej sebagai PEMBAWA PERUBAHAN. Hakikatnya tiada sebarang perubahan yang mereka lakukan, melainkan mengucar-ngacirkan Sabah yang mempunyai polarisasi penduduk yang terlalu jauh berbeza dengan di Semenanjung.
ReplyDeletePairin meninggalkan Parti Berjaya untuk menubuhkan PBS dan tidak sampai sebulan selepas itu, parti berkenaan menumbangkan kerajaan negeri yang diterajui Parti Berjaya pada pilihan raya 1985.
ReplyDeletePBS memperoleh kuasa melalui sokongan popular rakyat berikutan perubahan arus politik yang belum pernah berlaku dalam arena politik Malaysia sebelum itu.
ReplyDeletePairin menyandang jawatan Ketua Menteri Sabah selama sembilan tahun hinggalah pada pilihan raya 1994, yang walaupun PBS meraih kemenangan untuk kali keempat berturut-turut, tetapi Pairin terpaksa berundur hanya selepas dua minggu menerajui pentadbiran negeri apabila ramai anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri PBS meninggalkan parti itu untuk menyertai BN.
ReplyDeleteBerikutan itu, PBS menjadi parti pembangkang yang lantang menyuarakan pandangannya tentang pelbagai perkara hingga mencetuskan keadaan politik yang tidak stabil di Sabah. Bagaimanapun, berkat kepimpinan bijaksana Pairin, pada 2002, PBS kembali diterima menganggotai BN.
ReplyDeleteDua tahun selepas itu, Pairin dilantik sebagai timbalan ketua menteri, jawatan yang disandangnya hingga kini.
ReplyDeleteDari sudut kewartawanan, Pairin, yang juga Huguan Siou (pemimpin tertinggi) masyarakat Kadazandusun Murut, dianggap melakar pencapaian cemerlang, khususnya dalam bidang politik.
Bekas ketua pengarang Bernama Datuk Seri Azman Ujang, yang pernah berkhidmat sebagai pemberita di Sabah ketika negeri ini dilanda gelora politik, berkata tiada seorang pun ahli politik Sabah, yang melakar impak begitu besar di negeri ini, selain Pairin.
ReplyDeleteWartawan veteran Sabah, Emin Madi pula berkata sebagai presiden sebuah parti komponen utama BN negeri, Pairin memainkan peranan penting sebagai faktor penyatu sepanjang yang melibatkan kepentingan masyarakat Kadazandusun Murut.
ReplyDelete"Pairin amat tegas dalam hal ini (isu pendatang tanpa izin) dan inilah jenis pemimpin yang kami mahu," kata Emin.
ReplyDeletePairin juga sentiasa pempamerkan gaya kepimpinan sederhana 'yang bukan sahaja memenuhi inspirasi sebahagian besar masyarakat KDM, tetapi juga menepati konsep perkongsian kuasa yang diamalkan kerajaan BN Sabah, yang diterajui Ketua Menteri Datuk Seri Musa Aman
ReplyDeleteDalam apa yang dilihat sebagai suatu perkembangan menarik baru-baru ini, Pairin dikatakan membayangkan bahawa Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 akan merupakan pilihan raya terakhir yang akan ditandinginya.
ReplyDeleteWalaupun Pairin belum mengumumkan perkara itu secara rasmi, tetapi ramai peramal politik menjangka ahli politik veteran ini akan memberi beberapa petunjuk berkaitan masa depan politiknya pada kongres PBS yang bermula hari ini.
ReplyDeletePenduduk Tambunan mengharapkan agar Pairin terus menjadi wakil mereka pada pilihan raya umum akan datang. Lojiun Gunting dari Kampung Rompon, Tambunan, berkata Pairin banyak menabur jasa kepada penduduk kawasan itu sejak tiga dekad lepas.
ReplyDeleteParti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), formed 27 years ago, remains consistent in championing the rights and welfare of the people in Sabah said its President Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
ReplyDeleteHe said though the party had to face many challenges and a tough political scenario throughout the period, PBS had remained steadfast, strong, united and determined.
DeletePairin who is also the Deputy Chief Minister said the success achieved by the party was due to the continues support of the people at all levels, including leaders in the party, supreme council members, division heads and members.
Delete“When I look back at the history and the difficult challenges faced by Parti Bersatu Sabah over the years, I am pleased with the strong support given by the leaders and the members.
Delete“Let us renew our plight to continue championing the struggles for the welfare of all the people in Sabah,” he told reporters at his 72nd birthday celebrations at the Dewan Putra Luyang, near here last night.
DeleteThe PBS President said that the government was very perceptive to the needs of the people and wished to protect their interests but to enable the government to help the people, it was important that they remained united in voicing their needs.
DeleteHe added that the people must remain united in order to effectively voice their needs to the government.
Delete“Our unity will make us stronger in voicing our views and concerns. The government is also always listening to the people and would do all it can to fulfill their development needs,” he said.
DeleteAlso present were PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili, Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai and Datuk Almudin Kaida.
Delete