PBS tells Dr Chong to declare his stand

KOTA KINABALU, May 27 (Daily Express) -- Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Supreme Council member Dr Chong Eng Leong has been told to declare whether he still subscribes to the Barisan Nasional (BN) principles.

PBS Chief Information Officer, Johnny Mositun, said the party's leadership was concerned with Dr Chong's recent statement that was tantamount to "belittling the party's policy as well as making unfounded allegations and malicious comments against senior party leaders".

"Our stand on illegals is clear ever since PBS was formed in 1985, long before he (Dr Chong) joined, exited and rejoined PBS. We are anti-PTI (illegal immigrants) but we must adopt a BN approach to solving the problem. Not the opposition way."

According to Mositun, if Dr Chong can no longer support the BN, then "he should know what to do rather than testing the hands of the PBS leadership".

"His statement is very damaging. Dr Chong is free to leave the party and join the opposition, Pakatan Rakyat, if he no longer subscribed to BN principles," he said here, Monday.

"Deep in our heart, in so far as the motion tabled by Lim Kit Siang in Parliament is concerned, it is the prerogative of the Speaker to either accept or reject it based on the fact or subject matter of the motion by giving its reason(s) in accordance with the House Standing Order provisions," said Mositun, who is also State Assembly Deputy Speaker.

Hence, he said, Dr Chong's contention that PBS Deputy President Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili, who is Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, got Sabah MPs to vote against the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) does not arise.

"The motion was never accepted for debate," he said.

Dr Chong was reported last Saturday as expressing disappointment with Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee's rejection of the motion to amend the motion of thanks to the Royal address to add the proposal for the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah by Ipoh Timur MP, Lim Kit Siang.

At the same time, Dr Chong criticised not only Sabah BN MPs but also blamed PBS leader, Maximus whom he said failed to show support for the RCI, which he believed, if formed, would be able to solve the perennial illegal immigrant problem and those associated with it.