'PBS happy with Pairin'

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (The Star) -- There is no need for an immediate leadership handover in Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) as the party is happy with current president Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, said its deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili.

Denouncing calls for Pairin to step down and for him to take over the leadership, Dr Ongkili said he was in no hurry to helm the party and that the decision should be left to Pairin.

"Pairin enjoys the full support of the party's supreme council, division and grassroots leaders to continue leading PBS as president until he decides to retire from politics.

"Pairin is a good and smart political leader. Let him decide when the transition should take place. People like me and others can wait. There is no hurry. We will just do our job and take it as it comes," the Science, Technology and Innovation Minister told reporters Tuesday after launching an International Symposium on Quality Management.

Dr Ongkili was responding to recent remarks by Kiulu division chief Sindin Ranggongon who called on Pairin to step down and make way for those with "more energy, calibre and charisma.”

Sindin had suggested Dr Ongkili as Pairin's obvious successor and had said diminishing support warranted a leadership change.

Dr Ongkili said the party's disciplinary committee would meet on Friday to discuss Sindin's outburst, which is "an isolated case and totally against the party's interest and procedures."

Any leadership transition in the party, which Pairin founded 23 yeas ago, would be done smoothly according to the party's constitution, Dr Ongkili said.

"PBS is now the oldest Sabah-based political party. It is our aspiration to ensure PBS continues as a key political institution in Sabah.

"We don’t want the history of previous political parties in Sabah and Sarawak to repeat with us, where the parties disbanded or disintegrated with the expiry of the political career of their presidents," he added.

Dr Ongkili also said that PBS would stick by Barisan Nasional and continue to support the coalition, the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister.

"PBS has been in and out of Barisan Nasional before. But when we came back, we said we would put our hand on the plough and stick the plough in all the way.

"Barisan has a solid mandate from the people which needs to be fulfilled. The opposition should stop using undemocratic and unprofessional means to entice people to cross over and form the government for political gain," he added.