Three issues a threat to Sabah BN

PITAS, July 5 (The Borneo Post) -- PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili warned that three issues in Sabah could pose a threat to the Barisan Nasional if they remain unresolved.

They are on illegal immigrants, land ownership and imbalanced power sharing, said the Federal Science, Technology and Innovation Minister.

While the Barisan Nasional remains strong, he said the state coalition must maintain the people’s trust and support by addressing the issues close to their heart.

“There is an undercurrent of dissatisfaction among the people on the issue of land, illegal immigrants as well as what is seen as an imbalance of power sharing among the component parties.

“These challenges must be overcome by having more consultation, transparency and shared decision making. We must be vigilant and sensitive to these issues, and tackle them to satisfy the people,” he added.

Maxmus, however, is confident the BN leadership, especially at the national level, would be able to resolve these problems.

“With the spirit of resilience and capable leadership, I am certain Barisan Nasional will be able to overcome these challenges and ensure Sabah remains a cornerstone for its strength and foundation,” he said.

Maximus stated this when opening the three-day 1PBS camp for PBS northern zone at Dataran Bengkoka here attended by almost 400 members from eight divisions.

He said Sabah, together with Sarawak, is set to gain in development and progress with the necessary foundation laid out by the government’s 1Malaysia mission, Government Transformation Plan, Economic Transformation Plan and 10th Malaysia Plan.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his deputy Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, he said Sabah and Sarawak had become “the darling of the federal government” as the leaders were sincerely concerned about development in the two states.

For example, he said discussions at the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) and National Key Economic Areas (NKEA) labs did not leave out Sabah and Sarawak. The two states were always taken into consideration when strategies were thought out.

Addressing the party members, Maximus told them to hold firm to the spirit of the party’s struggle.

He urged the PBS divisions not to lose spirit and easily give up even though they face challenges.

“We must go back to basics and hold firm to our fighting spirit that was very strongly felt in 1994 until 2001 when we were in the opposition. During that time we showed that our unity and selflessness helped us to remain strong and formidable and hence, readmitted to Barisan Nasional as an asset to the coalition,” he said.