Pairin under pressure to field ‘fresh’ faces

With the weekend deadline coming up, PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan is in a ditter over who to keep and drop from his 2013 general eletion line-up

PENAMPANG: Word here is that Sabah Umno’s staunchest ally, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), is scrambling to introduce new faces in its line-up for the May 5 general election.

Nomination is on April 20 and Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak is apparently expecting to receive the final list of candidates from all BN component parties latest by this weekend.

So PBS is really running out of time.

Up until press time, checks with party insiders confirmed that PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan, 73, was in a ditter over who to pick and drop from the party’s pool.

It’s either he is indecisive or Pairin has become exceptionally good at playing political poker.

According to PBS insiders, the ageing leader is in a bind over whether to drop his loyalist and risk new faces.

They said Pairin has “awakened” to the reality that the electorate, especially the younger ones, wanted PBS to breathe fresh air into its 2013 general election candidates’ line-up.

As of now, PBS is only certain of fielding new faces in the two seats it lost in 2004. The seats are Sri Tanjung state constituency and Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat.

It has not decided on the rest of its incumbents.

PBS is expected to field candidates for BN in 13 state constituencies and four parliamentary seats. It is also eyeing the Sepanggar parliamentary seat which is held by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).

SAPP won the Sepanggar seat while still a BN coalition member. The party quit the coalition in 2008 after the 12th general election.

New faces likely

According to PBS insiders, the party is considering introducing new faces in Kiulu, Kadamaian, Kundasang, Matunggung and even in Inanam.

Pairin had earlier last year openly confirmed that Inanam incumbent Johnny Goh would be defending his seat. But it looks like the situation will change.

Pairin, they said, might also concede to letting veteran journalist Joniston Bangkuai have a go in Kiulu, replacing another ageing leader, Louis Rampas.

Between Kadamaian and Matunggung, they claimed, Kadamaian incumbent Herbert Timbin Lagadan, would most likely be “easier” to drop as he has been the assemblyman for three terms, while Matunggung’s Sarapin Magana was only in his first term.

PBS, which was formed in 1985, has seen only Pairin as its president.

And although Pairin has raised his intentions to quit, party leaders have stopped him from doing so.

But of late PBS has come under increasing pressure to introduce new faces, although none of its leaders have dared to openly discuss it.

But, according to party insiders, Pairin’s move to “retire” will be done in stages. His first step was to let go of the Keningau seats where he is incumbent.

Pairin is certain to defend his Tambunan state seat which he first won back in 1976 under then Berjaya party.

No novice for Keningau
As such, he is certain to field a new face for Keningau and it may not necessarily be a novice.

Squaring off with a PBS candidate in Keningau will be Pairin’s younger brother Jeffrey Kitingan who heads State Reform Party (STAR).

Jeffrey has reportedly confirmed that he would also contest the Bingkor state seat. The other state seats within Keningau are Tambunan and Liawan.

Keningau is a predominantly Kadazandusun seat but with a quite substantial group of Muslim voters, especially n Liawan.

The 12 state seats which PBS held in the dissolved 60-seat State Legislative Assembly are Tambunan, Matunggung, Tandek, Kadamaian, Tamparuli, Kiulu, Inanam, Api-Api, Tanjung Aru, Kundasang, Labuk and Melalap.

Its three MP seats were Keningau (Pairin), Kota Marudu (Maximus Ongkili) and Batu Sapi (Linda Tsen)