PBS deputy president, Dr Maximus Ongkili said it was heartening that Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had finally acknowledged the serious weaknesses of the rotation and it was only logical that a system that has not worked should not be imposed on the people.

Commenting on the Prime Minister's remark that rotating the state leadership in Sabah created "lame duck" Chief Ministers, Ongkili said PBS was ever ready to provide political support for scrapping of the system and cooperate for the return of a five-year term as provided for in the State Constitution.

"PBS' stand on the matter has been consistent since 1994. We stated in all our past election manifestos that the 2-year system is unconstitutional, impractical and unworkable because it promotes wastage, inefficiencies, abuses and discontinuities in policy and administration. We have persistently called for its abolishment.

"If the Federal government was concerned that the scrapping of the rotation would be politicised by the opposition on the ground of "broken promises", we give assurance of responsible action and sincere support on the part of PBS, consistent with our public stand on the matter. We place the interests of the people of Sabah above political goal-scoring," he said.

The Bandau member of parliament also called on both the federal and state BN governments to formulate a long-term and workable power-sharing arrangement in Sabah.

"The present system of rotating the state leadership failed precisely because those who sat in office did not earn the position through the ballot box as stipulated in the State Constitution.

"An ideal solution to the problem is to have a fresh fair, clean and truly democratic State election and then give the winning party or the leading party of a particular component a 5-year term to do its job. We call for a fresh election as a permanent democratic solution to problems caused by scrapping of the rotation," he insisted.

Dr Ongkili stressed that if the rotation was scrapped and no election was held, political formula such quotas on all aspects of administration should be formulated so that the wealth of the State, political positions and public assistance including training and scholarships are not monopolised by a single racial group at the expense of the minorities particularly those in the rural areas.