KOTA MARUDU, May 13 (Daily Express) -- The Tandek Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) division has unanimously nominated Datuk Seri Panglima Joseph Pairin Kitingan to retain the party presidency at its triennial elections to be held in November.

The division, at its annual general meeting Monday, also passed a motion to retain Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili as Deputy President.

Ongkili, who is Tandek division chief, said Pairin continued to enjoy the full support of PBS members to lead the party for another three years.

"The party requires his leadership to institutionalise further its political struggle and service to the rakyat," he said, Tuesday.

He said the division also unanimously approved a motion urging the party leadership to submit a memorandum to the Election Commission to re-create the state constituency of Langkon within the Kota Marudu parliamentary constituency in the forthcoming delineation exercise.

Dr Ongkili said the Kota Marudu constituency was one of the largest in the country in terms of physical size, equivalent to the size of Penang and Perlis put together.

The population had increased and the parliamentary constituency now had about 32,000 voters, he said.

Prior to 1999, the parliamentary constituency of Kota Marudu (previously Bandau) has three state seats, namely Matunggong, Tandek and Langkon.