Labuan issue haunting PBS?

PBS thinks both the federal and state governments should set up a joint committee to look into issues such as oil royalty, Labuan rights, Sabah Autonomy and the Malaysia Agreement.

KOTA KINABALU: More than 25 years after Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) rose to power on the back of the controversial surrender of Labuan to the federal government, the issue has returned to haunt the party.

Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan has been forced to lend his voice to calls for the setting up of a special committee to study the impact of returning the Federal Territory of Labuan to Sabah.

“Through the committee, the state government may get the participation of all those involved during the handing over of the Labuan island to the federal government,” he said.

Labuan, which used to be part of Sabah, was ceded to the federal government in 1984, making it the second Federal Territory in the country.

Commenting on the recent call by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) information chief, Chong Pit Fah’s, to PBS to make its stand on the Labuan issue, Pairin, who is PBS president, said the party’s supreme council has not discussed the matter.

“If the government sets up the committee, it would be able to provide us with the pros and cons, as well as a detailed report on the impact of the issue.

“And if the federal government decides to keep Labuan, then it should also provide us with its reasons,” he said.

Pairin, who also is State Infrastructure Development Minister, said that both the federal and state governments should also set up a joint committee to discuss pressing issues such as the people’s call for the increase of oil royalty.

“Recently, many people are talking about oil royalty, Labuan rights, Sabah autonomy and the Malaysia Agreement, but everyone has different views on the topic.

“What we should do is to study the situation, instead of rejecting and ignoring the government’s views immediately.

“Everything can be discussed to find the best solution. The government should give its attention to the issue and make a wise and sensible conclusion that can be accepted by all.

“But it will definitely take a long time to settle,” he said.

Return Labuan

The call for return of Labuan to Sabah was raised by United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Organisation (Upko) vice-president Wences Angang recently.

Wences, a former state minister, said the federal government should return Labuan to the Sabah state government for failing to administer the island and maintain its free port status.

He made the call in response to an earlier statement by Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin who said that smuggling activities in Labuan have gone out of control, thereby incurring huge losses to the government.

Raja Nong also proposed scrapping Labuan status as a free port in a bid to combat the rampant smuggling of duty-free goods, particularly cigarettes, beer and liquor to mainland Sabah.

Michael Kaung

SAPP to PBS: What's your stand on the Labuan issue?

KOTA KINABALU, June 17, 2011: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) wants Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) to state its stand on the Labuan issue.

The former Sabah territory which is now a Federal Territory after it was ceded to the Federal government in 1984, recently became a hot topic again, following Upko's recent call for this island to be returned back to Sabah.


Upko vice president Datuk Wences Angang on Thursday called on the Federal government to return Labuan to Sabah government for failing to administer the island and maintain its free port status. He urged this in response to Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Datuk Zainal Abidin's statement earlier, saying that smuggling activities in labuan have gone out of control, thereby incurring huge losses to the government.

In a statement issued here today, SAPP Information Chief Chong Pit Fah urged PBS to state its stand on the issue, asserting that this is appropriate and important citing the fact that it was once a crucial part of PBS's agendas and struggles, that even led to its winning of the 1985's election to form the State government.

"Both Upko and Umno have stated their respective on the matter. We believe the people of Sabah are now eager to know what is PBS's stand on this matter, whether it is still the same or has changed," said Chong.

He also urged the Federal Government not to do as they like in Labuan just because it is a Federal Territory.

He stressed that the Federal Government must not use the "out-of-control smuggling activity" as an excuse for changing the status of Labuan, as it was merely an enforcement issue.

Besides this, Chong who is also SAPP Kepayan CLC Chairman also wanted to know the reason behind the much delay in the implementation of the proposed Labuan – Menumbok Bridge project, citing that it was announced during the tenure of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the Prime Minister.

"If Penang can have a second bridge then "why can't we have a bridge to link Labuan and Menumbok?" he asked, adding that its materialization would be significant in boosting the economy of Labuan and Menumbok.

He further noted that it has been one of the SAPP's eight-point declaration that the Federal Territory of labuan shall be returned to sabah and governed as a special region.

Pairin akan berundur?

KUALA LUMPUR: Sejak dua minggu lepas, tersebar spekulasi bahawa barisan kepimpinan Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) akan mengalami perubahan apabila pemimpin tertingginya dikatakan sedang menyusun pelan peralihan kuasa.

Spekulasi ini menjadi semakin panas apabila timbalan presiden PBS Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili dilaporkan telah memindahkan pangkalan politiknya ke kampung halaman beliau di Tambunan setelah keluarganya dikatakan membina sebuah rumah besar di kawasan tanah peninggalan nenek moyang mereka tidak jauh dari kediaman bapa saudaranya, yang juga presiden parti itu, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

Pairin adalah Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Tambunan dan Anggota Parlimen Keningau.

Pairin, 71, dipercayai sedang berura-ura untuk mengurangkan peranannya sebagai pemimpin masyarakat setelah menjadi Adun Tambunan selama 35 tahun iaitu sejak beliau bersama Berjaya pada 1976.

Beliau juga merupakan "Huguan Siou" atau pemimpin utama Kadazandusun, Timbalan Ketua Menteri merangkap Menteri Pembangunan Luar Bandar, presiden Pertubuhan Persatuan Kebudayaan Kadazandusun (KDCA) dan anggota pelbagai jawatankuasa, termasuk Jawatankuasa Tokoh Terkemuka Asean.

Sekiranya Pairin berundur sebagai pemimpin tertinggi PBS, nampaknya, sebagai timbalan presiden kanan PBS dan timbalan presiden KDCA, Maximus, 58, adalah pemimpin paling layak dan tepat untuk mengambil alih jawatan itu.

Bagaimanapun, dalam temu bual dengan Bernama, Maximus menolak andaian akan berlaku rombakan kepimpinan dalam PBS kerana setakat ini, pairin tidak pernah membayangkan akan berundur sebagai presiden parti itu.

"Tidak timbul isu pertukaran kepimpinan parti. Saya akan terus berkhidmat sebagai timbalan presiden," katanya.

Penganalisis politik dan pensyarah Universiti Malaysia Sabah Dr Bilcher Bala berkata kepimpinan PBS sekarang masih begitu relevan.

"Setakat ini, Huguan Siou (Pairin) masih sihat.

Beliau juga mampu menerajui PBS untuk satu penggal lagi, sama seperti presiden PBB (Parti Pesaka

Bumiputera Bersatu) Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud," katanya.

Beliau berkata sekiranya Pairin mengambil keputusan untuk berundur, maka PBS akan menghadapi masalah untuk mencari pengganti beliau, sama seperti keadaan yang dihadapi PBB sekiranya Taib berundur sebagai presidennya.

"Sampai bila Pairin bercadang untuk menyandang jawatan presiden bukan menjadi isu bagi parti itu. Setakat ini, kepimpinan dalam PBS agak harmonis. Beliau (Pairin) masih berupaya berkhidmat untuk satu penggal lagi,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun, para pemerhati berkata Maximus, yang juga Menteri Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi serta penyandang kerusi Parlimen Kota Marudu sejak 1995, tetap merupakan calon utama untuk menggantikan Pairin sekiranya tokoh politik terkenal Sabah ini berundur.

Walaupun telah menjadi Anggota Parlimen selama empat penggal, Maximus masih popular dalam kalangan anggota PBS di peringkat akar umbi, kata mereka.

Pada pilihan raya umum 1995, Maximus bertanding menentang bapa saudaranya Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, yarrg ketika itu bersama Barisan Nasional (BN) dan beliau menang dengan meraih 64 peratus daripada keseluruhan jumlah undi.

Pada 1999, ketika PBS menjadi Pembangkang, Maximus mengalahkan calon BN Maijol Mahap bagi kerusi Parlimen Kota Marudu.

Pada pilihan raya umum 2004 dan 2008 pula, iaitu setelah PBS kembali ke pangkuan BN, Maximus terus mengekalkan kerusi Parlimen berkenaan.

Walau apapun pandangan yang diberi tentang spekulasi itu, namun banyak pihak masih tertanya-tanya betulkah Pairin akan memberi isyarat akan berlaku sebarang perubahan penting dalam barisan kepimpinan PBS. - Bernama

‘Sabah don’t need teachers from Semenanjung with extremist leanings’

Michael Kaung

A brewing storm over the Education Ministry's alleged plan to send 80,000 teachers to Sarawak is worrying Sabah.

KOTA KINABALU: Barisan Nasional (BN) partner Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has echoed its neighbour’s apprehension at the prospect of 80,000 teachers from Peninsular Malaysia being transferred to Sarawak next year.

PBS secretary general Henrynus Amin said: “If the allegation is indeed true, then what is the rationale?

“PBS can find no plausible explanation for the massive transfer of teachers from Peninsular Malaysia to either Sabah or Sarawak.

“While the need may have been true 20 years ago, today the case is no longer true.”

Henrynus said the influx of teachers from Peninsular Malaysia who are not screened for their political views will have an influence on the thinking of local youths.

“Sabah and Sarawak is still free from extreme racial and religious views. We don’t want teachers with extreme political leanings such as those expressed by Perkasa to set foot in the two states,” he said.

Henrynus was alluding to a gathering storm in neighbouring Sarawak over the Education Ministry’s alleged plan to second 80,000 teachers to the state.

The transfers, which are expected to include thousands of ustaz (Muslim religious teachers), has put Sarawak’s already wary Christian community on guard.

Sarawak BN-ally Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing has expressed concern over the thousands of uztaz who had be transfered to Sarawak as ‘counselling teachers’.

“Why these ustaz are here I don’t know…  Here, they are called counselling teachers. Counselling on what matter, I do not know.

“It is quite worrying in the sense that if they are really who they are, then the tendency to teach is not there.
“They will be more inclined to look into aspects of religion than actually teaching the students,” he said.

Serious political implications

Echoing his view, Henrynus, who was formerly Kinabalu (now Ranau) MP, said the news of teachers arriving in Sarawak in the tens of thousands is already sending shockwaves through the local communities giving rise to wild speculations.

“Again, if the news is true, there would be a serious political impact, as local youths who are genuinely interested to become teachers and still unemployed would be deprived of job opportunities.

“The Education Ministry must therefore reconsider its policy of sending teachers from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah and Sarawak.

“It is high time for Sabah and Sarawak to develop the resources from within them and stop the flow of negative influences that sows the seeds of racial and religious discords,” he said.

PBS, he said wants the federal government, in particular, the Education Ministry, to open up more opportunities for qualified youths from Sabah and Sarawak to be trained a teachers to serve the local community.

“Our children are bright and ever willing to serve the nation as teachers even in remote places if they are given the chance,” Henrynus added.

Is PBS still relevant for KDM?

Illegals put PBS in a tight spot

After reading the long answer written by Datuk Henrynus Amin in response to Politikampung, I have come to the conclusion that what Henrynus is saying is that Umno has changed, it can never be toppled, so it is best for everybody to support it by remaining in BN.

And when Datuk Marcus Mojigoh voiced out Upko's dissatisfaction about the perennial problem of the illegal immigrants in Sabah, he had to come up with something a lot stronger.

His whole, very comprehensive outline of complaints against the Federal Government about the same issue was in almost total contrast to what he said about Umno in response to Politikampung.

And then as if fearing a backlash from Umno like what has been suffered by LDP, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan immediately issued another statement to say that the problem of illegals in Sabah cannot be blamed on the federal of the State Government! Now, it doesn't take an Einstein to realise the ridiculous implications from this series of statements.

Several questions immediately comes to mind, and the most obvious is whether Henrynus as the PBS Secretary General and Pairin as PBS President, have different stands on the issue! And if that is true what really is the PBS' stand on illegals? If Pairin says both the Federal Government and the State Government cannot be blamed, then who should be blamed? Who should have implemented the immigration laws if not the Federal and State Governments? Doesn't Pairin realize that we have been talking about the Project IC, phantom voters, extraordinary increase in the state population, and so on for years now? As the Deputy Chief Minister and the former Chief Minister who was also the Chairman of the State Security Committee he should have a clear explanation about how the problem got worse over the last decades.

And also, he needs to give a suggestion on how to solve the problem.

As it is he just wants to wash his hands off the problem as if he is afraid of offending his political bosses.

As such, this begs the question - What is PBS in BN for? Now that Pairin had said that, what about his previous statements in which he said he wanted the illegal immigrants problem to be resolved by 2012? Is PBS still holding on to this demand? This awkwardness is not going to stop.

Sooner rather than, later, PBS will betray its own dilemma with other issues as well, proving that it cannot decide on doing the right thing.

PBS must know that it is high time PBS thinks about re-evaluating its real struggle and how it should fit in the current and future political setups of Sabah, especially on its relevance to the Kadazandusun struggle.

But then I don't see how PBS can resolve this dilemma if it still believes it should continue in BN.

But then, PBS cannot find the guts to leave the coalition for fear of repeating the previous 'blunder' for which Pairin has publicly apologised.

So it seems it is stuck with BN, and will continue to live in a dilemma.

And it will become more and more removed from its original struggle.

This article is lifted from The Borneo Post 15 May 2011 and written by Raymond Tombung

Chong: PBS told me to shut up on illegals

FORMER Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) supreme council member, Dr Chong Eng Leong claimed he left the party because PBS did not want him as a PBS member vocal on the illegal immigrant and Project IC issues.

"PBS refused me to submit a Memorandum to Suhakam in 2004 on the subject of Sabah's population explosion since 1970 and the Project IC issue. PBS wanted nothing to do with it as PBS was worried that Umno would accuse PBS of back-stabbing the BN again.

"PBS also refused me to present my papers as a PBS member on the same issue to the Parliamentary Select Committee on National Unity in 2005 and the Parliamentary Select Committee on National Integrity in 2006.

"I did all the above as a concerned lonely Sabahan. I need a political platform to further my desire to make wider awareness of this perennial predicament facing Sabah's security sovereignty within Malaysia.

"This is the main reason for writing my book Lest We Forget, the sub-title is Security and Sovereignty of Sabah," he said in refuting PBS Secretary General Datuk Henrynus Amin's claim that Dr Chong's departure from PBS was not related to the issue of illegal immigrants and fake ICs.

"We all know that we need a Federal Government that has a political will to face and solve this issue of illegal immigrants, Project IC and phantom voters.

"We all know that Umno and Barisan Nasional will not do this," he said.

Has PBS got the gut to tell its master?

Peter Marajin

Datuk Yong Teck Lee was the CM for only 2 years. What could a Sabah CM do within 2 years to solve a well entrenched and deep-rooted problem perpetuated by KL? And being a CM under the puppet of UMNO there is not much to maneuvre but to toe the line of the master's command.

Even though Tan Sri Chong Kah Ket made PTI problem as one of his priorities to solve as CM, did he manage to solve it? The answer is big NO. Why? Again it is the master who refuse to solve it. Why? Because they rely on the PTIs as their political lifeline to perpetuate the political power in Sabah and the country.

Now PBS has been in the BN government for 10 years now. Has PBS done anything to solve this perennial problem? The answer is NO.


Their leader especially Pairin only touches this subject once a year and that is during the party Congress in which he foams in the mouth during his keynote address to the delegates. After that he and the whole leadership of PBS become mute until the next congress. During the following congress he repeats the same issue again and again every year but remain silent in between. What does this mean to the people in general? It means:

- that PBS has no gut to tell the master (UMNO) to solve this problem once and for all for the sake of the real Sabahans and Sabah.

- that PBS is also beholden to the master just like SAPP when it was sleeping on the same bed with UMNO (ie. it is the master who calls the shot, the servants cannot do anything).

- that PBS leaders only pretending to solve the problem but they know they are powerless to do anything but toe the line.

- that PBS leaders especially Pairin raises the issue every party congress purely to raise the sagging spirit of his supporters so that they would continue to support the party and his leadership so that his position in the government and that of his cronies are assured and not in any way jeopardised.

- that Timbun is only a barking henchman to please the master so that in the process his own position is maintained indefinitely.

Peter Marajin is a member of the Sabah Progressive Party Supreme Council

PBS's 'sandiwara' statements and 'main wayang'

KOTA KINABALU, May 11, 2011: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth Chief Edward Dagul, today said that Datuk Herbert again chose to shoot his mouth off without reading the statement made by Datuk Yong Teck Lee.

"Or maybe, he has read but does not comprehend. Or worse still, the press statement was just related to him, thus the partial comprehension.

Whichever one it is, what is abundantly clear is Datuk Herbert has come across as being ignorant, and not for the first time. Who in their right mind would seek explanations that have already been clearly stated and fully explained? Maybe Tan Sri Pairin was referring to Herbert Timbun when he advised that this PTI issue should not be politicized for political mileage.

"Since we are on the PTI issue, having stated on record what Datuk Yong has done for Sabah during his two year stint as the Chief Minister of Sabah. What has the PBS President done during his nine years rule as the CM and the CEO of the State to resolve the issue? Let's add to that the nine extra years as the Deputy Chief Minister of the current BN administration and not forgetting the five years as a full cabinet minister of the Berjaya administration.

"Herbert should consult his colleagues in the current BN Cabinet if he is unsure. The so called border pass suggested for Filipino citizens is a registration process on those entering the State, much like the current immigration practice at the moment. Once registered, it then becomes easier to locate and find those who have exceeded their stay etc. The regularization exercise was also a registration programme. Maybe Herbert should have asked his Secretary General who seemed quite knowledgeable to a point?

"It is PBS Secretary General, Datuk Henrynus Amin, who has to eat the proverbial humble "apple” pie. His public acknowledgement via the media is ample prove that the Federal Authorities refuses to address the perennial illegal immigrant problem in Sabah. Either PBS leaders within the Federal Cabinet or the State Cabinet are non-performing or they are there for mere window dressing? Or are they there to mere rubber stamp and be the obedient "Pak Turut”? Whatever the answer, what is apparent is that PBS reasons for rejoining BN does not hold water.

"Whilst Henrynus was generous in his praising of SAPP's might in the downfall of PBS, one must be forthright and truthful in giving praises where it's due, that the downfall of PBS was largely attributed to PBS's YBs who jumped ship and went on to form PDS and PBRS. That was what transpired even though PBS won the 1994 elections by the slimmest of majority. But it seems that this convenient lapse of memory suits Datuk Henrynus Amin so as not to poke the BN hornet's nest.

"Many Sabahans will not putting up their hopes too high as the PBS challenge for the Federal Government to resolve the PTI issue by 2012 is seen as "main wayang”. The reason being that the NKRA's Special Laboratory on illegal immigrants is largely perceived as an afterthought, the result of its findings will be nothing new and that none of the recommendations will be implemented by 2012, despite Pairin's proclamation at the 24th PBS Congress.

"Datuk Henrynus is however right in saying that Sabahan voters are smart. They can see through the so called leaders who have abandoned them. Natives, mainly KDMs lost ancestral lands, suffer forced evictions from forest reserves etc are becoming regular features in the news. Always proclaiming to be championing the KDM community's cause, what have PBS leaders done to assist them? The inaction as well as the continued silence by PBS leaders on this and other pertinent issues affecting especially the KDM community has left them feeling hopeless and abandoned.

"It is this act of betrayal to the community that will witness PBS leaders desperately hanging onto their positions by issuing "sandiwara” statements to remain relevant in the eyes of Sabahans.

SAPP's actions on solving illegal immigrants problem effective

Illegals menace worsened during PBS's decade in BN

KOTA KINABALU, May 9, 2011: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee, said in the few years that SAPP was in the state government, government ACTIONS on solving the illegal immigrants problem were effective.

"With the involvement of the National Security Council, the full force of the army, navy, police, national registration department, immigration and other agencies and foreign embassies were deployed. Bilateral efforts were made with neighbouring countries to take back the illegals.

"Tens of thousands of illegal immigrants were deported using military logistics while tens of thousands left voluntarily to escape the strict enforcement by the authorities. Legitimate foreign workers needed in Sabah with genuine employers were given work passes under the successful 1996 Regularisation Programme whereby Indonesian workers obtained valid passports at their consulates in Kota Kinabalu and Tawau while Filipino workers were issued passports by their consular officers from Kuala Lumpur. Genuine foreign workers therefore had no need for fake documents.

"Between 1995 and 1996, a police security operation known as Ops Kenal was launched to crush the fake IC syndicates. Hence, UMNO operatives like Akjan Ali (the self-proclaimed Sultan of Sulu) and many others were detained under the Internal Security Act. For once, there was real hope of a lasting solution to the illegals menace in Sabah. All these achievements are on the official records.

"But what has been happening in the last several years is the resumption of issuing Mykads to foreigners, now called "IC Najib". The population of foreigners has shot up to a million, according to the 2010 national census. Ex-ISA detainees like Akjan Ali had the cheek to "install" himself as "Sultan of Sulu" in clear defiance of Malaysia's sovereignty. And not only the suspect who murdered Joni Somudin cannot be found, even the fake Sultan is missing! Yet, PBS's Henrynus is still talking about "laboratory study on foreign workers" to be released.

"Even UPKO MPs Datuk Wilfred Bumburing and Datuk Markus Mojigoh have testified that the BN government is not serious about solving the illegal immigrant issue. On February 14, the Home Minister Datuk Hishamuddin Tun Hussein revealed that the federal government was waiting for the state response to the federal proposals on the illegal issue. What were the proposals and why has the state government not responded? PBS has senior ministers in both the State and Federal Cabinets. Surely these ministers know what is happening in the government. PBS leaders must stop misleading the people that the UMNO-dominated BN government will solve the illegals issue.

Don't mislead the people on illegals

KOTA KINABALU, May 7, 2011: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Youth Chief Edward Dagul, said that Datuk Henrynus Amin, PBS Secretary-General is forgetting that its senior deputy president, Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili is a senior member of the federal cabinet.

 

"If Henrynus blames the federal government for its failure to solve the illegal immigrants problems in Sabah, then the only honorable thing is for Dr. Maximus to resign from the cabinet and PBS apologise to the people of Sabah for misleading the people that it can solve the illegals problems by rejoining BN ten years ago.

 

"PBS also has two cabinet members in the Sabah State Cabinet, including two of the three deputy chief ministers. Henrynus had declared that PBS is proud to be the best friend of UMNO and its second biggest party after UMNO in Sabah. So, when an innocent local is brutally and senselessly murdered in Inanam by an illegal immigrant, PBS must share the blame for its failure to tackle the crimes caused by the huge presence of illegal immigrants in Sabah.

 

Foreigner today, citizen tomorrow

 

"What is happening daily now is that thousands of Mykad are being issued to foreigners," Edward reiterated.

 

"Many local employers can tell you that many, many foreign workers have obtained Mykad after working for a few months.

 

"This happens in Sandakan, Semporna, Labuan and even Putrajaya right under the noses of PBS and UPKO ministers.

 

"The illegals crisis has become so serious that an ex-ISA detainee who was arrested in 1996 for manufacturing fake ICs had "installed" himself as a Sultan! And what can PBS do about it?

 

"Nothing! This shows that PBS is in office but not in power. This is why local people call PBS leaders stooges of UMNO," said Edward.

Project IC: Poser over PBS-Umno collusion

PBS' recent defence of Chief Minister Musa Aman and Umno has left former Senator Dr Chong Eng Leong wondering about the party's integrity.

KOTA KINABALU: Former senator-turned-activist Dr Chong Eng Leong has questioned the sincerity of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) in defending state rights.

Chong said PBS now appears to be colluding with those who were once implicated in the recruitment of illegal immigrants to become Malaysian citizens.

“How can they be vocal and passionate about defending state rights?” he asked in response to a senior official of PBS saying that many Umno leaders, including Chief Minister Musa Aman are equally vocal and passionate about defending state rights.

PBS secretary-general Henrynus Amin made the statement recently in support of Musa following bitter in-fighting within the Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) over the treatment of smaller coalition partners by the BN chairman.

Chong repeated his unchallenged allegation that when Umno first expanded to Sabah in 1991, after PBS pulled out from BN, an Umno task force was formed with Musa as director and Yahya Hussin as his deputy (he is currently deputy chief minister) to recruit and grant foreigners in Sabah, Malaysian citizenship.

The illegal immigrants were subsequently registered as Umno members and as voters on the Sabah electoral rolls and this was disclosed by Jabar Khan, who was then the secretary of the task force, he said.

Chong, a consultant surgeon, challenged PBS leaders to ask Umno to expunge phantom voters’ names from the electoral rolls.

“Wasn’t this the dream of PBS when in the opposition?” he asked.

‘Dubious citizens’

Chong, a former senior member of PBS, reminded PBS that it had lodged numerous police reports on “Project IC”, submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission on phantom voters on the Sabah electoral rolls and requested these names be expunged and demanded the setting up of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants.

He said that after it rejoined the BN in 2002, it continued asking for RCI to be set up, besides submitting memorandum to the then Anti-Corruption Agency on the same issues.

However, the party has been ignored for the past decade and formed a cosy relationship with Umno to the frustration of Chong, who posed a series of questions that he said the party leadership needs to answer.
“I would like to ask PBS these questions: Have you received any feedback regarding those police reports?

Does Umno admit the existence of this Project IC? Does Umno agree to set up the RCI? Has Musa ever voiced out publicly about this Project IC? Has he ever asked for RCI?

“The answers are no and therefore why are you saying Musa is vocal and passionate about defending state rights?” he asked in a statement here today.

He stressed that as long as Umno and BN are in power, the perennial issue of illegal immigrants and “dubious citizens” will never be solved. It can only be solved when Pakatan Rakyat comes to power.

“The Pakatan government will not only establish a RCI on illegal immigrants, but will also recall all Project ICs issued fraudulently and expunge these names from our electoral rolls.

“The Project IC holders would be given the chance to apply for Sabah PR status according to our immigration laws,” he said.

Chong wrote a book on the controversial issue entitled “Lest We Forget” which focused on how illegal immigrants came to be given citizenship status in a plan to dilute the state’s overwhelmingly Christian population and turn it into an Umno bastion.

He believes that based on the last census there are probably more than 600,000 “new Sabah natives” and more than 70,000 of them  are so-called phantom voters and registered on the electoral rolls.

The new Sabah natives, or “New Malaysians” as they are increasingly referred to here, are those foreigners who allegedly became Malaysian citizens through dubious means including false declarations and the infamous “Project IC”.

By Queville To

Pairin finally says he regrets quit decision

Michael Kaung

Finally, the 'huguan siou' made a humiliating admission – he regretted pulling PBS out of BN in 1990.

KOTA KINABALU: Twenty-one years on, former chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan said he regrets having pulled his party – Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) – out of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1990.


The humiliating admission by the “huguan siou” (chief) of the Kadazandusun community comes after a number of brickbats were thrown at him by BN coalition members who faulted him for slowing development of the state during his party’s reign in the mid-1980s and early 1990s.

Pairin, who is now a deputy chief minister in the state BN government and leader of PBS, which was re-admitted to the ruling coalition in 2001, has sought to deflect criticism for over a week now about his and the party’s poor judgment.

Speaking to reporters at a sports event here yesterday when asked about the criticism levelled against him and his party by members of the coalition, Pairin said: “There are reasons why I have regretted but I don’t want to discuss it here.”

However, he reiterated that he was not solely to blame (for the pullout) but that it was a collective decision, with the support of the majority of Sabahans as the election then had proved.

“There were a lot of factors involved as well,” he said, adding that it was now up to history to judge whether his action was good or bad or wrong or weak as some of his critics have said recently.

The septuagenarian politician who has also faced criticism within his own community for kowtowing to the Umno-led BN coalition which overthrew his administration in 1994, said he was not defending himself and his actions at the time.

“For me this is a past issue. What I have done, I did to the best of my abilities with regard to
the situation then.

“What I had done during my time as chief minister or as state Cabinet minister was for the good of the people, the state and future of Sabah.

“As we know from history, in 1985, we were only ruling for 11 months before there were interruptions and problems arose with civil disturbances and people dying from bombs.

“All this had to be taken into account. So whatever I have done was for the good, well-being and security (of the people) and to improve the administration and economy of the state.

“The most important was security. If we were unable to control the situation then, there was sure to be chaos. I knew and so did many others that they were prepared to fight.”

Pairin also accused his detractors of practising “Machiavellian-style of politics” by seeking ways to criticise him and his party.

His most recent woes began after a local daily published an extract of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s memoirs “A Doctor in the House” which quoted him as saying that Pairin
lost the opportunity to develop Sabah the moment he pulled PBS out of the coalition on the eve of the 1990 general election.

The move led Mahathir to bring Umno into Sabah politics which up to then had been left untouched by peninsula-based parties.

Malukun comes to Pairin’s defence

Charlie Rudai

He says Mahathir defender Abdul Rahim insulted not only the former CM, but the entire Kadazandusun community.

KOTA KINABALU: A host of apologists are coming to the defence of former Sabah chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan following a spate of criticism that culminated this week with a broadside from a Sabah Umno member.

The former chief minister, who is now deputy to Chief Minister Musa Aman of Umno, drew flak because his Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) initially downplayed criticism by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Pairin was responsible for the slowness of Sabah’s economic development.

Mahathir makes the accusation in his recently published memoir, rubbing salt in the wound that PBS suffered with its overthrow by the Umno-led BN in 1994.

However, PBS’s recent attempt at a more rigorous defence against Mahathir’s allegation has stirred up accusations that the party was unfairly criticising Mahathir, who accepted PBS back into BN in 1990.

Clarence Bongkos Malakun, the former managing director of Sabah Forest Industry (SFI), is the latest public figure to come to Pairin’s defence.

Now the deputy president of the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association (KDCA), Malakun said Umno member and Pantai Manis assemblyman Abdul Rahim Ismail had insulted the whole Kadazandusun community when he described Pairin as “up to this day not national political material”.

Pairin is KDCA President and Huguan Siou (supreme leader) of the Kadazandusuns.

Malakun said that Rahim, by openly insulting the Huguan Siou, had belittled his Kadazandusun voters in Pantai Manis and Papar.

He asked: “If Pairin is not of national political material, then how about the rest of the Sabah leaders who are serving in the Federal Cabinet, like Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili?

“Are they too regarded as inferior and not up to the mark and Rahim’s expectation?”

He reminded Rahim that Pairin is one of the longest serving Members of Parliament in Malaysia today.

“If Pairin is not of national political material, then he would not have lasted so long.”

Rahim a pawn

Malakun, currently the chairman of  Sabah’s Institute for Development Studies (IDS), also expressed puzzlement over Rahim’s claim that the PBS government inherited RM2.5 billion in reserves from the Berjaya government.

“I do not know where Rahim got the figure,” he said.

Rahim claimed this was the amount that former chief minister Harris Salleh’s Berjaya government had accumulated in the government coffers and which PBS spent under Pairin.

He added that PBS had left a deficit of RM2.5 billion, bringing the total purportedly squandered to RM5 billion.

“The figure quoted by Rahim is surely just a figment of his imagination,” Malakun said. “He must know that the minister of finance during PBS’s time was Tan Sri Bernard Dompok and his assistant was Datuk Seri Panglima Yong Teck Lee.

“No one has ever accused Pairin of having exhausted the state’s reserves to the amount stated by Rahim.

“It would have been impossible for any chief minister to squander so much money without having to pass the necessary supplementary supply bills in the state assembly.”

He accused Rahim of trying to create conflict amongst the BN parties in order to undermine the state leadership.

“Perhaps Rahim is not alone but is merely the pawn of certain quarters with their own agenda,” he said.

Mahathir’s dirty tactics

Malakun also said he was considering legal action against Rahim for saying that PBS leaders had used SFI to enrich themselves.

Jeffrey Kitingan has also been forced to come out in defence of his elder brother following Mahathir’s revelations.

On Wednesday, local activist and Common Interest Group Malaysia (Cigma) leader Daniel John Jambun also lashed out at Rahim, saying he had conveniently forgotten how PBS had been put under the cosh by Mahathir and the federal government, leaving the party powerless.

He said Rahim’s praise for Mahathir could be taken as condoning his “dirty tactics” in subjugating Sabah “because it was seen as a Christian-led government and had to be brought down at all costs”.

He said Mahathir had shown that he hated the democratically elected PBS government from the time it took charge in 1985

Stop making Mahathir scapegoat, PBS is told

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's economic position might be better today had there been political honesty and honour in Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) during the party's nine-year rule.

Pantai Manis Umno Chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Ismail claimed PBS failed to produce a creditable economic plan or management and that Sabah's economic fairs were conducted on a day-to-day basis.

"Nobody knew what was coming or going. In other words. Sabah under
PBS, at best, was just muddling through. Under this sort of environment. it was not surprising that the RM12.5 billion reserve accumulated by Datuk Harris Salleh was soon gone and by the time Pairin stepped down, there was a deficit of acre than RM12.5 billion, a swing of RM5 billion," he said, in a statement, Sunday.

Referring to the report in the Daily Express on April 1 under the headline "Sabah Suffered Much Under Mahathir: PBS", Rahim said a more appropriate headline would be "Sabah Suffered Much Under Pairin".

In the first instance, he said Pairin should have recognised that he and PBS were and up to this day not "national political material".

"Put it bluntly, he should not have tried to indulge in the 'Big Boy' game of national politics. By playing Dr Mahathir against Tengku Razaleigh and vice versa and pulling out of BN at the last minute before the 1990 General election, the true colours of Pairin and PBS were revealed.

Having done the 'Brutus' on Dr Mahathir and Umno, how cann PBS expect Dr Mahathir to invite them to a VIP banquet? As they say, the rest is history," he said.

After the election, Pairin tried to perpetuate his own political ambition and PBS' rule by exploiting the "Anti West Malaysian and Federal Government sentiments" among Sabahans.

"A leopard cannnot change its spots. PBS reneged on a pre-election agreement cooperation with Tun Mustapha/Usno immediately after the 1985 State Election, when they had learned they had won sufficient number of seats to form the Government," he said.

Rahim said while they were creating a messy political situation, the worst was yet to come in the economic front, the repercussions of which would burden Sabahans up to this day and for a long time to come.

"For reasons best known to Pairin, a 'Sabah cheap sale' was started.

"Assets belonging to Sabah that were worth selling had been sold, the big majority, of which to non-Sabahans and public-listed companies.

"Likewise, many so-called JVs at terms highly unfavourable to Sabah were entered into with non-Sabahan companies," he said.

Rahim named them, among others, Rekas Halus, Sabah Gas Industries, Sabah Forest Industries, Sapi Plantation, Asia City, Cathay Cinema, Tanjung Aru Beach Hotel, Api Api Centre and Centre Point.

"Approvals for alienation of hundreds of thousands of acres were given to PBS leaders and supporters at low premium. They then sold them at great profits to non-Sabahan companies, most of which were PLCs from West Malaysia.

"This is how more than 85 percent of the oil palm industry is now owned by non-Sabahans," he said, adding that during the nine years of PBS rule, logs in millions of cubic metres from Sabah Foundation and Sabah Forest industry had been exported at greatly deflated prices to enrich a very selected few.

"Had PBS discharged its fiduciary duty in the way it should have been done, the reserve of RM2.5 billion from Harris, all the lands which have been alienated to PBS leaders and supporters and sold to non-Sabahans and the sales proceeds of all the logs could have been utilised to build a good future for all Sabahans.

"The reality is that PBS had mismanaged the economy of Sabah and cheap-sold Sabah's assets. Dr Mahathir was not responsible for Sabah's sufferings. It was PBS," he claimed.

Thus, Rahim said, had Pairin cooperated with Dr Mahathir and had not pulled out of BN in 1990, Sabah would have been much better off.

"Knowing Dr Mahathir, he would have accorded all possible assistance and allocated Federal funds to develop Sabah as he had done for Sarawak, which by the way, has the second highest GDP per capita in the country in 2009. Sabah's position is 13th," he said.

Blaming Mahathir is unbecoming

"If PBS thinks that Sabah has suffered much under Dr Mahathir, why did Pairin try all sorts of ways to crawl back to BN, including begging for assistance of Tan Sri Chong Kah Mat to intercede on his behalf?

"On being accepted back, he even kissed the hand of Dr Mahathir. And promptly declared that he had always been a secret admirer of Dr Mahathir.

"I think Dr Mahathir was big hearted to put the 'back stabbing incident' behind him and in the interest of nation building, accepted Pairin and PBS back into the BN's fold.

"Blaming Dr Mahathir for the sufferings of Sabah is, therefore, most unbecoming. Such arrogance could only emanate from a political party that is basking with pride on having been endowed with the appointment of a second Deputy Chief Minister recently," said Rahim.

Dompok: Pairin masterminded PBS pullout

Dominic Legeh

PENAMPANG: A former senior Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) leader has accused former Sabah chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan of being the brains behind the pullout from the Barisan Nasional (BN) in 1990.

Bernard Dompok today broke his silence, saying it was his former boss Pairin who started talking about the plan for PBS to pull out from the BN after a shaky relationship with the federal administration of then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.


Dompok, United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun and Murut Organisation (Upko) president,
who was then a high-ranking leader of PBS, recalled that the planning took place during the 1990 general election campaigning period.

“I remember very correctly the day the (PBS) supreme council decided on it. I was already campaigning as a candidate in Penampang constituency… at that time Moyog and Inanam were together part of the Penampang constituency,” Dompok said.

“Then I received a call, on the day of the meeting, from the president (Pairin) and I went and saw him… he started it all by talking about it (pulling out from BN).

“But I think, as I have said before, there are a lot of things that I rather not talk about,” he said.

Dompok, who is also Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, said Pairin should confirm this account of the events that transpired prior to the pullout.

Dompok was speaking in response to a recent statement by PBS which officially put on record that it was he, Yong Teck Lee (now Sabah Progressive Party leader) and former minister Tham Nyip Shen who forced Pairin’s hand into making that fateful decision to pull out from the ruling BN coalition on the eve of the 1990 general election.

PBS vice-president Radin Malleh made the claim following Mahathir’s revelation in his memoir “A Doctor In The House” that the decision to pull out announced at 8pm at the KK Community Centre here, was what led him to convene an urgent Umno supreme council meeting at midnight the same day in Kuala Lumpur to announce Umno’s expansion to Sabah.

It was a decision that still rankles as it changed Sabah’s political landscape.

Pushed to the wall

Fearing the disclosure would stir up emotions among Sabahans, Radin said Pairin had actually remained loyal to the BN although the federal leadership at that time did not favour the party.

“Although Pairin was already pushed to the wall, he remained loyal to BN until an emergency PBS supreme council meeting held on Oct 15, 1990, where he was forced to agree to pull out from BN by Yong (Teck Lee) and Tham (Nyip Shen), supported by (Bernard) Dompok… these three people were very adamant to get out from BN.”

Dompok today rejected Radin’s claim during a press conference after receiving application forms to join his party from more members of the Kadazandusun community.

“I think I have now been relegated to just a supporter (of the pullout plan), because in some of the earlier statements I seem to have been the promoter… I certainly would like to say a bit more if Pairin can sort of come out and confirm what he feels about it.

“I think if we look back, if the pullout had gone right, history would have been different,” he said, adding that Pairin would have an even more elevated stature if his plan had worked.

“None of us (Yong, Tham and he) would have surfaced as promoters or supporters of this decision… but as it happened, of course, it didn’t turn out that good.

“The decision did not turn out so good. We keep on saying it … and of course nothing would have been heard about Tham, Yong and supporters like me if the decision had turned out right.

“So now my short answer to you is that everybody (actually) had a role… it is important to say (this) today of course (but) let’s move on,” he said.

Asked to comment that the BN-led federal government under Mahathir had punished Sabah because of the pullout, Dompok said people were free to interpret in their own way in making a conclusion.

Earlier, he welcomed Jeoffrey Ekol and Slyvester Sidion, two respected members of the community, saying that Upko now has slightly over 100,000 members.

Musa's 60th Birthday gift ... a Lamborghini?

Birthday cake surprise for Datuk Seri Musa Aman attended by Umno and PBS leaders. Leaders of other component parties were visibly not present.

Musa's birthday cake is lavishly topped with a model Lamborghini....

Market value for a brand new Lamborghini LB 640 is priced at a whopping RM3 million! Wondering if it represented a gift in-waiting for the CM.

Is this the model type?