KOTA MARUDU: The Bandau Division of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) is insisting on the return of the Bandau state constituency (DUN) to PBS.
This constituency was temporarily loaned to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (BERSATU) by the president of PBS during the 16th State General Election (PRN16).
Bandau PBS youth chief Junid Gunsalam, who is also state PBS youth vice-chief, said that this matter was decided at the division meeting held at the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) Movement Office, Simpang Tiga Langkon, here on Friday.
“The PBS Bandau Division Meeting unanimously decided to demand the return of the Bandau DUN seat that was loaned by the President of PBS to BERSATU in the previous PRN16,” he said in a statement today.
The meeting was attended by 15 members of the PBS Bandau Division Committee, chaired by Deputy Chairman of PBS Bandau Division, Julita Dalinsi.
Junid said that PBS Bandau Division made this decision because they want the Bandau DUN seat to be contested by GRS candidates from PBS in the upcoming PRN.
“PBS wants to continue the party’s tradition since 1985.
“The Bandau DUN seat, formerly known as the Langkon DUN seat, has been a PBS tradition since 1985. In 1999, the Langkon DUN seat was abolished, later reestablished in 2020 (PRN16), and renamed the Bandau DUN seat.
“PBS Bandau Division has 107 branches with a total of 4,900 members throughout the Bandau DUN area,” he said.
Junid added that PBS Bandau Division has several new prominent leaders who can be highlighted and have the potential to win as PBS/GRS candidates in the upcoming PRN.
Datuk Wetrom Bahanda, who won as the candidate for BERSATU/PN in PRN16 with a majority of 3,363 votes, held the Bandau state constituency.
“He later left BERSATU and joined the Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM) and became a candidate for Member of Parliament in the Kota Marudu area in the previous general election and won under the PKDM party ticket,” he said.
BERSATU is one of the component parties of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, which collaborates with Barisan Nasional (BN) and PBS as a coalition called GRS in Sabah in PRN-16.
However, after being registered as an official political coalition last year, GRS, chaired by Chief Minister Datuk Seri Haji Hajiji Haji Noor, is now composed of seven local parties, namely Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) led by Hajiji as President, PBS, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP), Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Sabah Bersatu (USNO), Parti Harapan Rakyat Sabah (PHRS), and the Liberal Demokratik Party (LDP).
