KOTA KINABALU – Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili has indicated his readiness to step down as party leader before his term ends.
The former Kota Marudu MP said he had proposed to step down in 18 months, but the party’s supreme council members had advised him to stay on.
“Of course, we have three deputies, they are available to play a bigger role. I think we have another two and a half years to go (before the current term ends).
“I have already discussed this with the supreme council. By June we will have our annual congress and we will see if they are ready. I’ll be happy to hand over the leadership of the party,” he said when met during the party’s Chinese New Year walkabout here today.
Ongkili said the supreme council still wants him around, but added that he will still gather their views again.
“They say I should take it one step at a time. But we will discuss this matter at the supreme council level.
“Anything that is good for the party, that will strengthen the party leadership, we will take it as we go along,” he said.
The three deputy presidents are Datuk Joachim Gunsalam, Datuk Jahid Jahim, and Datuk Yee Moh Chai.
In June last year, Ongkili had already set a timeframe to identify his successor as the next party president, adding that a leadership transition could happen before or during the next party congress.
PBS is part of the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah alliance and a co-ruling party in the state. It has seven assemblymen. – The Vibes, January 15, 2023
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