STAR, PBS bad blood threatens Sabah ruling coalition

 

Guan Dee Koh Hoi warns Maximus Ongkili that he is sacrificing the unity within the GRS ruling coalition with his recent actions.

KOTA KINABALU: STAR today issued a strong rebuke to Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) ally PBS over two contentious issues that it said threatens to divide the ruling coalition in Sabah.

In a statement, STAR secretary-general Guan Dee Koh Hoi warned PBS president Maximus Ongkili for saying that his party was leaving the door open to a collaboration with opposition Warisan.

Guan Dee also slammed Ongkili for criticising STAR president Jeffrey Kitingan over his recent call for a new Federal Constitution to resolve the status of Sabah and Sarawak in the Malaysian federation.

He called Ongkili’s recent statements a “desperate” attempt to boost support for PBS, which he claims was now dwindling.

“How ironic that by being so aggressive against a fellow member of GRS, Ongkili is making people question his real intentions and whether his judgment is logical.

“Apparently he is so desperate to take over the Keningau (parliamentary) and Tambunan (state) seats from Kitingan’s hands that he is now willing to bet everything on his political career and on PBS’ future,” Guan Dee said.

Ongkili had told Kitingan to refrain from “stirring sentiments for political mileage” after the Sabah deputy chief minister called for a new Federal Constitution to resolve Sabah and Sarawak’s status in the federation.

Ongkili, the Sabah and Sarawak affairs minister, had said many things which were beyond the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) would have to be considered if this were to be done.

The PBS president also welcomed Warisan’s change in stance on the two parties possibly working together, agreeing that it would be in the interest of the state to do so.

While he stopped short of drawing a roadmap on forging exclusive political ties with the opposition party, Ongkili said his party took note of Warisan leader Shafie Apdal’s political gesture to work together for the good of all Sabahans.

But Guan Dee, who is tourism, arts and culture deputy minister, said Ongkili’s “aggressiveness” was uncalled for, adding that it seemed like PBS was throwing any cooperation with STAR into the wind.

He added that the PBS president’s actions had only united STAR even more, issuing a warning to Ongkili that more supporters had grown disillusioned with his party’s struggle.

“This new turn is actually putting the final nail on the coffin of PBS’ original struggle of 1985. Simple common sense will show that this is not in line with the aspiration of most Sabahans, especially the Momoguns.

“We are glad that Ongkili is possibly committing an irreversible error and inadvertently strengthening STAR at the same time.” - FMT