PRESS RELEASE
KOTA MARUDU, 18 MARCH 2001

PBS : Rotation decision a slap for Kadazandusun parties

Kota Marudu, Sun. – Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) today described the Federal government’s decision on the rotation issue as "a slap in the face" for the BN Kadazandusun-based parties in light of their failure to hold the Chief Minister’s post for the next four years.

PBS deputy president Dr Maximus Ongkili said the latest outcome on the rotation clearly proved right the party’s advice to all ex-PBS leaders who leapfrogged to the Barisan Nasional that their action to chase after the chief minister’s post was a futile act of "chasing shadows in the moonlight."

"According to some analysts, the reasons for excluding the Kadazandusuns in the next four years of the rotation were apparently the low capability among the elected leaders and their well-known lack of principles and integrity given their past records of party hopping.

"This is indeed an unfortunate outcome and an unkind assessment of leaders of the community as a whole but then one has to face the realities. Political leaders in the state have to learn over and over again that unprincipled political behaviour does not pay at all," he stressed.

On the rotation system, the Bandau member of parliament said PBS questioned the wisdom of continuing with a system that has been openly acknowledged to be non-functioning and imposing enormous hardships and burden on the people.

"Even Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad agreed that the system produces ‘lame duck’ chief ministers who cannot discharge their duties properly or perform responsibly as expected by the rakyat. Clearly political expediency rather than the socio-economic interests of the people of Sabah has been used in deciding to continue with the unworkable system," he claimed.

Ongkili added that since the federal government had decided to continue with the rotation, "one can only hope that new Chief Minister Datuk Chong Kah Kiat will perform credibly and not repeat the questionable actions and mistakes of his last five predecessors for the sake of all Malaysians in Sabah."