PBS to double membership by year-end

PENAMPANG, Mar 6 (The Borneo Post) --- Parti Bersatu Sabah hopes to double its membership by year-end to have a bigger voice for the party.

1PBS CAMPAIGN: Ongkili (left) presenting a mock PBS membership card to Pairin (right) as his wife Datin Seri Genevieve Lee (second right), secretary-general Henrynus Amin (third right) and other PBS leaders look on after the launch of the 1PBS campaign, yesterday.

With ‘one member, one new member’ tagline, its deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said the new resolution was part of the party’s 25 years anniversary programme this year.

Speaking when launching the 1PBS 2010 concept during the party’s Colloquium of Thinking and Struggle of Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan programme here yesterday, Ongkili said a RM12,000 cash incentive had been set aside which would be offered to any divisions or branches with the highest number of new members.

“Cash prizes ranging from RM500 to RM2,000 will be offered to the top three divisions or branches with the highest number of members. This is part of our move to motivate members to recruit new members and inject fresh ideas on how we can help to further strengthen this party,” he said.

Ongkili, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, said the membership drive would run till the end of the year, but: “If we are able to meet the target by the time we hold the party’s congress sometime in November, the cash incentives will be presented then.”

He said it was crucial for PBS to double its membership, especially when they had to think on the future of the party.

“When we have more members, we will have a bigger representation, meaning we will have a louder voice.

“As we celebrate our Silver Jubilee, we must also think of what we should do in the next 25 years, who our successors are. We must not think what we have done in the last 25 years, but think what else we can do for the next 25 years,” he said.

To date, Ongkili said the party had some 100,000 active members statewide.

During the event, PBS also launched its new membership card.

“This is a way to celebrate the party’s Silver Jubilee … it is to breathe in fresh look and ideas for PBS. Hopefully we will be able to work closely together for the good of the party,” he said.