KOTA KINABALU – Several top leaders of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) have defected and joined Sabah Star under the leadership of Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan today, signalling a silent war brewing between the two parties.
PBS and Star are both part of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, but PBS is not part of the ruling Perikatan Nasional alliance.
Kitingan, who is PN deputy chairman, welcomes into the fold PBS supreme council member Stephen Teo, as well as former Karambunai PBS vice-head Ponsius Solipat, secretary Charles Arab and division committee member John Kaltus Jintuil.
The men submitted their membership forms at the Star headquarters in Bukit Padang today, with Teo also accepting his appointment as Star’s sponsor division head for the Karambunai state assembly.
Teo said their decision to join Star is due to PBS not taking care of them and their needs.
“We joined Star to continue helping Karambunai folk, who have been with us all this while in PBS.
“I appeal to Star’s new leadership in Karambunai to take care of kampung residents and ensure they obtain the government’s support.”
Kitingan said Star should not be seen as stealing members from an ally party, but added that it cannot stop anyone from joining.
During the 16th Sabah election in September last year, a disagreement arose between PBS and Star following clashes in some of the state seats.
It is understood that the two parties have agreed to divide by half the 24 seats allocated to them in the state polls, however they clashed in the Bingkor, Liawan, Moyog, Panginatan and Tulid constituencies.
PBS fielded 22 candidates, instead of the agreed-upon 15, with Kitingan accusing the party of breaking the accord. – The Vibes, April 1, 2021
