‘PBS has failed to protect native rights’

Veteran politician fed-up with Pairin Kitingan's spinelessness switches to allegience to Jeffrey's STAR.

PENAMPANG: A Kadazandusun political veteran here soured by his Huguan Siau’s (Paramount Leader) continued silence over native rights has decided to switch his support to the Borneo Agenda.

Fredoline Edwin Lonjinki, 71, slammed PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan, accusing him of being spineless and “colluding with Umno” to perpetuate injustice towards the people of Sabah, including the Kadazandusuns and Muruts.

Fed-up Lonjinki said he is turning his back on his ‘close’ association with Pairin and instead will support Pairin’s younger brother Jeffrey and his new party STAR.

“I have totally lost confidence in Pairin to continue leading Sabahans, especially the natives.

“Under him PBS has deviated very far away from its original struggle which was to safeguard the state and the Kadazandusun and Murut community.

“Pairin has been more and more detached from the aspiration of the grassroots, and he sometimes appears to choose Umno and self-interests ahead of the Sabahans,” said Lonjinki.

He said as someone who can still  recall vividly the “strong spirit of 1985″ which saw PBS rise to power, he could no longer pretend to support the party which was now a shadow of its former self.

“As a conscientious Sabahan who still remember the strong Spirit of 1985 I can no longer pretend to support such leadership,” he said.

Spineless Pairin

Lojingki also lamented Pairin’s statement on Native Customary Right (NCR) land issues.

Pairin had refused to take a stand and and had reportedly said that he would wait for Chief Minister Musa Aman’s leadership and state cabinet decision on the matter.

“This kind of statement is not the right thing for a Kadazandusun Huguan Siou (Paramount Leader) to say.

“The least Pairin could do was to state his own mind on the legal issue of NCR. Why must wait for Musa or the State Cabinet?

“The reporters asked him for his opinion on the NCR’s legality and all he said was he would wait for the Cabinet to discuss, as if he and his party PBS have no opinion or stand over the matter. This is frustrating for many people,” said Lonjinki.

Wishing his old friend good luck, Lojingki said he has decided to join Jeffrey’s party because ‘this is the time for us to unite under a new leader who for the rights of the Sabahans.”

“I know Jeffrey is doing the right thing and is being very courageous in his struggle, unlike his elder brother who is just a stooge dancing to the tune of Umno,” he said ina  statement today.

Upbeat about Borneo Agenda

Meanwhile Jeffrey today said his Borneo Agenda which called for the re-instatement of the terms of the Malaysia Agreement for Sabah and Sarawak was getting “tremendous support”.

“We’re sensationalising the Borneo Agenda to fight Umno’s nationalistic policies.

“Borneo Agenda’s struggle for the rights and autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak is getting tremendous support from the people.

“This is because they know this is what they want and this is what they have lost in Malaysia,” he said in reponse to Keningau Umno Youth chief Azman Ruslan’s deprecating accusation of the agenda’s ‘narrow regionalism’.

Umno, he said, could go ahead and try to colonize the minds and economy of Sabahans but this tactic was outdated and had been rejected “because the people because now know they have a better choice.”