PBS deputy president Maximus Ongkili says matter is now put to rest thanks to intervention from state BN chairman Musa Aman.
PBS deputy president Maximus Ongkili calls for party grassroots to forget this episode and refocus their attention on ensuring BN’s victory in Sabah.
KOTA KINABALU: Parti Bersatu Sabah is disappointed with Umno vice-president Zahid Hamidi for suggesting that the Matunggong state seat should be “lent” to Umno to contest.
Describing the formula as “uncalled for”, PBS deputy president Maximus Ongkili said the announcement made at an event on Sunday had caused great unhappiness among the PBS grassroots.
Some members had urged the party to fly its own flag in the general election.
“After an intense meeting with the PBS supreme council members today, we have now declared the matter solved thanks to the intervention of Musa Aman, the Sabah BN chairman.
“We have accepted his explanation and have advised our members to remain calm and stick to the job of assisting all BN candidates and make sure all seats are won,” said Ongkili, who was elected MP for Kota Marudu in 2013.
Matunggong is part of the Kota Marudu parliamentary constituency, and is located about 135km from here. It has about 21,000 voters.
On Sunday, Zahid had asked PBS to “lend” the seat to Umno so that BN could wrest back Matunggong, won by PKR in May 2013. The state assemblyman from PKR later left the party to become a BN-friendly independent.
Zahid said BN also hoped to retain Kota Marudu, where Ongkili was previously elected but with a bigger majority through this “formula”.
However, Ongkili said PBS stood by Matunggong and had endorsed its position at the meeting between the Sabah BN component leaders today.
“Matunggong has been our stronghold since we rejoined BN in 2002. It has always been assigned to PBS and any departure from what has been agreed would only cause instability for BN,” Ongkili said.
He added that it was improper for Zahid to make such negative remarks against PBS, especially in the presence of thousands of its supporters and in front of PBS president Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
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