By Social activist Remy Majangkim
KOTA KINABALU: After many years, PBS and STAR are now on the threshold of merging and becoming PBStar.
For the younger generation, this merger has been about 30 years overdue.
Growing up in the 1980s, we witnessed firsthand the political manipulation by the ruling federal government.
We saw how Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) rose from the ashes after defeating the powerful Parti Berjaya.
We endured silent riots and held onto hope in dark times, even when fear gripped everyone and a curfew was imposed.
I recall my father requesting a police escort to take my mother to the hospital to give birth to my youngest sister in 1986.
In the 1994 Sabah State Election, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) won by a tight margin. However, defections arose from their ranks, leading to splintering.
This situation proved short-lived, as a new Chief Minister was sworn in for less than two months, and BN-UMNO’s new Chief Minister assumed control in Sabah.
The then Prime Minister proposed a rotation system for the Chief Minister post from 1994 to 2004. PBS and BN-UMNO took turns until the last Chief Minister held onto the position until his defeat to Warisan in 2018.
These events mirror what Warisan faced after winning the 2018 election with the infamous “Langkah Sheraton,” which forced Warisan to dissolve the State Assembly due to defections within their ranks.
During the rotation system from 1994 to 2004, the Project IC was fully underway, ultimately altering the population demographics in Sabah.
In 2015, the Sabah Watergate scandal led to millions of ringgit being confiscated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission from the Jabatan Air Sabah office and the residences of those accused.
During this time, STAR remained quiet but later emerged as a kingmaker during the uncertainties following the 2020 betrayal at the federal level, which contributed to the collapse of Pakatan Harapan 1.0.
Now, after PBS, STAR, and other political components have taken over the state government, Sabah has a unique clause allowing it to include other members of the Assembly (ADUN) as Nominated Assemblymen (ADUN Lantikan).
The PAS Assistant Commissioner is poised to be among its members. However, this move has been highly contested by the public and largely ignored by PBS and STAR.
So what is this merger all about? Well, it is to capture the vote in the upcoming election in the notable DUN areas of Trusmadi and Crocker Range, from northern Kudat to the south of the west coast of Sabah.
Such convergence sees at least 20 to 35 seats out of 73 seats available for grabs. (If everything falls into place) it may not be enough to form a state government, but it will be a serious contender to be a kingmaker.
Over the years we were given a grand illusion that PBS and STAR are the right parties to uphold our rights, MA63, and improvement of our basic needs. This is further from the truth, and the people know it all too well. Historically, their support has dwindled, and the merger is long overdue.
It is indeed essential for leaders from Sabah to back the proposed merger, and I wholeheartedly concur.
Nevertheless, the true authority ultimately resides with the voters. Considering the sluggish momentum of their advancements, the people simply cannot bear the prospect of waiting another two decades, only to discover that their hopes for meaningful change were, in fact, fleeting and inadequately realised.
Salam Ramadan to all.
