Is PBS Heading Towards Change Of Guard?

By Alan Ting

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 (Bernama) -- For the past two weeks there has been speculation that Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) may see some changes in its leadership as its top leader is said to be preparing a transition plan.

The talk became intense after PBS deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili was reported to be shifting his political base to his Tambunan hometown where his family is said to be building a big house on ancestral land, just a stone's throw from the house of his uncle and PBS president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Pairin is currently Tambunan assemblyman and also Member of Parliament for Keningau.

Pairin, 71, is said to be contemplating winding down his public roles as he has been an assemblyman for Tambunan for the past 35 years, uninterrupted since 1976 when he was still with Berjaya.

He also is the "Huguan Siou" or paramount leader of the Kadazandusun, a Deputy Chief Minister-cum-state Minister of Rural Development, president of the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) and sits in many committees, including the Asean Eminent Persons Committee.

Maximus, 58, being a senior deputy president of PBS and also deputy president of KDCA, seems to be the obvious choice to take over, should Pairin decide to wind down his role.

However, in an interview with Bernama, Maximus said the party was not heading towards a change of guard as Pairin had not indicated that he would step down as president of PBS.

"There is no issue about party leadership. I will continue serving as deputy president," he said.

Political analyst and lecturer at Universiti Malaysia Sabah Dr Bilcher Bala also concurred that the current PBS leadership was still very much relevant.

"So far, Huguan Siou (Pairin) is still healthy. He still can lead PBS for another term. Like PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu) president Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud," he said.

He said should Pairin decide to step down, it would put the party in a difficult position as to who should succeded him, a situation similar to the PBB on who should take over from Taib.

"How long Pairin plans to serve as president is not an issue for the party. So far, the PBS leadership is quite harmonious. He (Pairin) still can go for another term," he said.

But observers say Maximus, who is also Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation and who has held the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat since 1995, is definitely the front runner to take over from Pairin should the latter decide to retire.

Maximus has been a four term Member of Parliament and is still popular among the party grassroot, they said.

In the 1995 general election, he was pitted against another uncle, Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, then with the Barisan Nasional (BN) but Maximus won by garnering 64 per cent of the total votes cast.

In 1999, while PBS was still in the opposition, Maximus defeated yet another BN candidate, Maijol Mahap, for the Kota Marudu parliamentary seat.

In 2004 and 2008 general election, whereby PBS had returned to the BN fold, Maximus retained the seats both times.

It would be interesting to see if Pairin will sent out signals of any imminent change in the party hierarchy.