KOTA KINABALU – An altercation has erupted between two key members of Sabah’s ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) following Sabah Star president Datuk Seri Jeffrey Kitingan’s controversial suggestion for the creation of a new Malaysia Agreement and federal constitution to replace the existing legal documents.
Sabah Star secretary-general Datuk Guandee Kohoi today accused Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) of showing political hostility towards his party, further claiming that it is threatening the GRS alliance.
The Dewan Negara senator warned PBS president Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili not to throw all cooperation with Sabah Star to the winds.
He said it is unwise for Ongkili to slam Jeffrey’s suggestion to form a new Malaysia Agreement and federal constitution.
Incidentally, Ongkili is also the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Sabah and Sarawak affairs.
Guandee also took him to task for expressing willingness to work with state opposition outfit Warisan, which is headed by Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, for the “good of Sabahans”.
He said that if such cooperation materialises between the two parties, Sabah Star would stand to gain in terms of Sabahan support.
“By doing so he (Ongkili) is sacrificing whatever unity there is left in GRS. This intention is confirmed in his willingness to work with Warisan, which in turn is toying with the idea of working with Umno.
“And now that modus operandi is being extended to the present unfriendly moves to wipe out all possibility of future cooperation with Star, least of all the possibility of responding positively to Star’s proposal for a merger,” he said here today.
Guandee cautioned that Ongkili’s statements would be the final nail in the coffin for PBS’ original struggle from 1985 for state rights.
Ties between PBS and Sabah Star have been rocky after the Sabah state election in September last year.
The two Sabah parties were at loggerheads after clashing with each other over five state seats during the polls.
However, the bad blood has been publicly kept low-key since their inclusion in the GRS state government – until now.
Sabah Star is a component of the Perikatan Nasional coalition, which is a member of GRS, and PBS is a component by itself of GRS along with PN and Barisan Nasional.
Earlier this week, Ongkili had criticised Jeffrey for proposing a new constitution and Malaysia Agreement as the way to move forward for Sabah after the polls.
He had warned Jeffrey not to play with the Sabahans’ sentiments.
Jeffrey had made his proposal for the new agreement and constitution on May 7.
He said the issue of Malaysia Agreement 1963 had been around for many years, and the time had come for the deal to be replaced as its terms have not turned out “as aspired” after 58 years.
Ongkili had said that such calls should not arise, as the merger to form Malaysia was akin to a marriage, and that the partners needed to find out what had gone wrong before filing for divorce.
Adding to Sabah Star’s chagrin, Ongkili had also responded positively to Warisan’s expression of interest in working with PBS. He had said that his GRS colleagues should look at the matter positively.
Shafie had indicated readiness to work with PBS, describing them as the ideal partner in fighting for Sabah’s rights.
Warisan, which ruled Sabah from May 2018 to September 2020, had terminated its relationship with the Pakatan Harapan coalition last year. – The Vibes, May 13, 2021
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