Tangau hits back at Ongkili, calls out PBS for leaving BN, too

 

Upko president Wilfred Madius Tangau said it was not just his party that left BN, PBS also left the coalition. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Wilfred Madius Tangau has hit back at Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Maximus Ongkili for the latter’s comments regarding former assemblyman Payar Juman and Upko’s exit from Barisan Nasional (BN).

In a statement, the Upko president said that it was not just his party that left BN, stating that just a few weeks later, PBS also decided to leave the coalition.

Subsequently, he added, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Gerakan, Parti Rakyat Sabah (PRS), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) also left BN.

“If Upko’s move to leave BN is considered ‘party hopping’, then so is that by PBS. Why are we the only ones made to look bad?”

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His statement comes in response to recent comments from Ongkili, who said defections, beginning with former Kiulu assemblyman Payar Juman’s move to swap Upko for Usno in 1967, had corrupted Sabah’s politics.

“After that (Payar’s crossover), Sabah politics was corrupted by party hopping, causing political instability,” the PBS president said.

More recently, he said Tangau ditched BN to help Warisan form the Sabah state government in the aftermath of the GE14.

Tangau said these parties (that left BN) had betrayed the people by joining a backdoor government through the Sheraton Move.

“Isn’t accepting ministerial positions an act of collusion that legitimises the Sheraton Move? And, doesn’t that mean you’re agreeing with party hopping?” he asked, questioning Ongkili’s principles.

Tangau called on Ongkili not to be hypocritical as PBS had done the same thing before.

“PBS also openly gathered at former Sabah chief minister Musa Aman’s residence to celebrate assemblymen who jumped from Warisan-PH-Upko in 2020,” he cited as proof of PBS legitimising party hopping.

Instead of making baseless accusations, Tangau said Ongkili should focus his efforts on delivering on his promise to implement the Malaysia Agreement 1963 within six months.

“Maximus Ongkili must fully resolve the federal government’s controversial position that Sabah’s right to receive 40% of federal revenue collections no longer applies.” - FMT