PBS Youth: Warisan using Sabah issues for own agenda

KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Youth has accused Parti Warisan Sabah and other new opposition parties of manipulating issues of concern to the state to further their own political agenda in the run-up to the 14th general election (GE14).

PBS executive council member Jhasarry Kang said the party had always maintained its struggle on important matters.

“Issues of illegal immigrants and regaining Sabah’s rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 have been the party’s agenda since inception.

“On the other hand, new opposition parties that have cropped up, including Warisan, are only using these issues for their own interests, especially with the general election coming,” he told FMT, adding that PBS was still relevant as it understood the needs of the people better than any other party.

Kang said this in backing acting PBS Youth chief Christopher Mandut who said Warisan president Shafie Apdal was “a hypocrite” on the issue of MA63.

“Mandut was obviously referring to Shafie’s most recent speech in Parliament where he spent more than 17 minutes talking, but not mentioning anything about the Malaysia Agreement even once,” Kang said.

“Mandut pointed out that Shafie, who is a former rural and regional development minister, should have talked about the Malaysia Agreement for the benefit of all Sabahans rather than making use of the parliamentary sitting for his own interest.”

On Nov 9, Mandut had accused Shafie of abusing parliamentary immunity to slander Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman in his speech on Nov 7.

He said the Semporna MP should have used the chance in the Dewan Rakyat to address more important issues.

He also questioned why Shafie had made no mention of MA63 when Warisan had claimed to champion the issue.

The next day, Warisan Youth secretary Francis Au hit back at Mandut, saying that many PBS members were just waiting to leave the party and join Warisan.

Au said Warisan already consisted of several former PBS leaders, such as himself, with more still to come.

Kang said incidences of members quitting a political party were normal.

“History has shown time and again that PBS will always rebound and become much stronger especially with elections just around the corner.

“PBS has gone through such a process for decades, so it is nothing new. The issue of losing members to other parties will not jeopardise the party’s strength whatsoever,” he said. -FMT