'Only backstabbers want Max to give up one seat'

KOTA MARUDU, Nov 13 (Daily Express) --- Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) here is all for Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili defending his Kota Marudu parliamentary and Tandek seats in the next election.

According to PBS Tandek Youth chief, Webley Disim, all delegates representing the 121 branches of the division had unanimously supported the notion during a meeting on May 21, this year that Maximus contest in both seats.

He said there was no reason why the party's Deputy President should relinquish a seat when PBS and other State Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties in the district are also standing firmly behind him.

"I believe what he had said is just a new development in the politics of the party," he said Monday when commenting on a statement by Maximus on Saturday that he is willing to give up one of his seats in the coming general elections.

Webley said the rate of development in Kota Marudu is very rapid due to Maximus' position in the Federal Cabinet.

He said that the cultural and social programmes in the district are also very glaring under the leadership of Maximus as evidenced through the number of people attending the events being held there.

He believed that Maximus came out with the statement after being instigated by certain people.

Such people, he said, should be sacked from the party because they are not only insincere but also backstabbers.

Maximus said while he was leaving it to party President Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin Kitingan to decide whether to continue letting him contest in both seats, he had always believed in the "distribution of responsibilities".

During the last election, arrangement was made for him and two other BN candidates from PBS to contest two seats because there were some reservations over the coalition winning those seats.

"(But) I will relinquish both if the President told me to do so," he said.

Nevertheless, he said that the BN need not listen to the opposition, in particular the DAP, since "we have our own policy".

Maximus said that the respective component party presidents usually decide the candidacy issue before the final decision is made with the top BN leadership.

Meanwhile, Webley said that Maximus should be allowed to continue defending the two seats in Kota Marudu and Tandek because his leadership has been proven.

"So far, he (Maximus) has not made any mistakes and we in Tandek will continue to strongly support him," he said.