KIULU:Parti Bersatu Sabah’s new struggle begins here, and its President Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili named it ‘The Kiulu Charge’.
According to Ongkili, the Kiulu Charge is a call for PBS to reinvent and refresh its political struggle.
He said after 36 years in steadfast political struggle as the oldest native party in Sabah, PBS can declare it is here to stay and regrow from strength to strength.
“At the last State election, PBS proved we are no longer a pushover party. We used our own flag and with limited internal resources, PBS won seven seats.
“PBS members and supporters can hold our heads high that our key political maxims have never changed,” said Ongkili, addressing members at the N15 Kiulu 35th PBS Annual General Meeting, here, today.
Earlier, the Kiulu Division held its meeting, chaired by its Division Chief Datuk Joniston Bangkuai, who is also the PBS Secretary-General and Kiulu Assemblyman.
He added that as a multiracial party, PBS founded on unity, hence the word ‘Bersatu’ in the party’s name, and since its inception in 1985, the party has been the defender of Sabah’s rights as stipulated in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), anti illegal immigrants and anti hop, especially assemblymen who abandoned its party for another.
“Over the 36 years of our existence, Sabahans have known us very well. Some, maybe, got bored; some may have gotten tired of listening to our repetitive stands and core values, but these are reflective of our party constitution.
“We do not and will never apologise as these have been the bread and butter issues which founding leader Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan majored in when he first formed PBS.
“In the last 10 years as new political parties were formed in Sabah, we were conscious of the sentiments of some Sabahans that the kind of marrers championed by PBS such as state rights, large presence of illegal immigrants and unity were getting outdated, but we persisted and argued that these were core values to be inculcated in the conscience of Sabahans in order to make Sabah safe, united and prosperous,” said Ongkili, who is also the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs).
The Kota Marudu Member of Parliament added that today, the sentiments have completely changed.
“More and more Sabahans are committed to defend the rights and security of sabah especially from illegal foreigners. The future of PBS lies in inculcating these core values into the lives of the young people of Sabah.
“The world is changing and facing enormous problems both economic and medical. In the midst of all these, Sabahans are more determined to preserve their state and defend it from the intrusion of illegal foreigners,” he said.
Ongkili, therefore, urged the younger wings of PBS to be faithful to the political struggle of the party and to spread the maxims of its struggle and recruit young members, especially young professionals.
“Spread the message wide and create a rippling effect of love for Sabah and passion and respect for the country.
“The party’s charge to members of the party is to hold fast to these political goals and to reject politics of race and religion to restore the good values of Sabah culture,” he said.
He added that PBS will embark on a membership recruitment drive especially among young professionals and training programmes so that the party will be a powerhouse of good values and ethically principled politics that will create leaders of tomorrow for Sabah.
“As I speak overlooking the banks of the idyllic fast flowing Kiulu river, I pray that PBS will grow from strength to strength, proud that we have contributed to the building of a state and nation that will make all of us proud.
“Just like the rapids of the Kiulu river whose strength brings about even the most challenging of white water rafting sports, may PBS continue to be strong and a source of unity and prosperity for our orang Sabah (the people of Sabah),” he said.
