PBS seeks to restore glory, but leader still recuperating

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Maximus Johnity Ongkili will still lead the party in the upcoming state elections while recovering from an ailment.

Ongkili - in his sixth term as Kota Marudu MP - was notably absent from crucial Dewan Rakyat votes in May and July. He sought a leave of absence due to medical problems.

This has sparked speculation on whether Ongkili would be healthy enough to lead PBS into the high stakes Sabah election.

Party leaders have assured Malaysiakini that Ongkili was making good progress. Moreover, he was said to be making crucial decisions for the party and may even join the campaign.

PBS deputy president Radin Malleh said Ongkili was discharged from the hospital last week.

When asked if Ongkili would be present during nomination day on Sept 12, Radin replied: "God willing."

PBS - which once ruled Sabah between 1985 and 1994 - is hoping to make a major splash in the upcoming state election by fielding 30 candidates, up from 13 in 2018.

Furthermore, PBS has stated that it would not be using the BN nor Perikatan Nasional (PN) logo, despite Ongkili being a minister in the PN federal government.

'He is involved in everything'

In 2018, Ongkili, 66, took over the party from his uncle Joseph Pairin Kitingan who founded the party in 1985 and was its leader for 33 years.

When Pairin was leading PBS, Ongkili served as the former's officer and later rose up the party ranks and became deputy president.

PBS information chief Joniston Bangkuai told Malaysiakini that Ongkili was very much involved in the party's election preparations, even when the latter was still recuperating.

He said Ongkili was involved in the candidate selection process and even seat negotiations.

"He might not be physically present, but he is very much involved in everything. He is taking the lead and strategising.

"He is trying his best. While his health is our primary concern, the interest and what happens to the state is very important to him," he said.

Joniston, the incumbent Kiulu lawmaker, said morale was still high among party members and supporters so far.

Reclaiming strongholds

The upcoming Sabah state elections will be the second time Ongkili will lead the party into an election since the Sandakan by-election in May 2019.

According to Joniston, PBS' strategy was to focus on seats in Sabah's west coast, northern region, and interior. He said 20 to 23 seats targeted are Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) majority seats.

Among seats being targeted are Api-Api and Kapayan, which are currently held by PKR and DAP respectively.

He said the party was also looking to take back Tambunan from Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) as the constituency is named after the town where PBS was born.

Tambunan is currently represented by Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan, Pairin's younger brother.

Despite PBS' ambitious 30 seat target, Joniston conceded that much will depend on negotiations with other opposition allies as the goal was to dethrone Warisan in the state.

"We need to sit down to discuss in the interest of defeating Warisan and there has been no decision. We made known our stand on that," he said.

Malaysia Agreement 1963

PBS had won elections and formed the Sabah government on its own before but since rejoining BN in 2002, the number of candidates it has allowed to nominate was second to Umno.

Its support levels also appeared to be on the wane. The party had 13 state lawmakers after the 2004 elections and had only six after the 2018 elections.

If there are no changes to the current plans, then PBS' "handshake" logo will make a return at a state election for the first time in 16 years.

Joniston explained that PBS was formed to pursue the fulfilling of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 and using the logo for the election symbolises that the party has never wavered from this position.

"When PBS was in power, (our opponents) were not supportive of this cause. But now, they just copy (from us)," he said.

'Katak' syndrome

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak senior lecturer and political analyst specialising in Borneo affairs Jeniri Amir did not share Joniston's optimism as history has shown that Sabah's voters are not known for strict party affiliation.

He pointed to the United Sabah National Organisation (Usno), which ruled the state between 1967 and 1976 but dissolved in 1996, and Sabah's People United Front (Berjaya), which came to power in 1976 but was defeated by PBS in 1985 before becoming irrelevant.

"Sabah politics are always like that. It is difficult for the established parties which fell from power to come back, unless they can find a leader of the same stature as Pairin," he said.

Another setback for PBS, said Jeniri, was the fact that PBS lawmakers had a reputation of defecting once elected. This happened after the 1985 elections, which forced a snap election in 1986, and again in 1994 which forced Pairin to resign as chief minister.

This happened again after the 2018 election. PBS' lawmakers for Tandek and Labuk switched allegiances and backed Warisan, allowing the latter to form a new government.

In July, a group of ruling party lawmakers switched sides again - including the lawmakers for Tandek and Labuk - which led to the dissolution of the legislative assembly.

"(PBS' history with defections) had tarnished their image. They need to put up new people with integrity," added Jeniri.

PN has image problem

Former Penang Institute analyst and Sabah native Esther Sinirisan Chong said PBS still has sway among non-Muslim bumiputera voters, however this message was being carried today by Warisan.

"The difference is that the PBS leader is a non-Muslim bumiputera while Warisan leader is a Muslim bumiputera," she told Malaysiakini.

On PBS choosing to use its own logo again, Chong believed that the party needed to distance itself from BN and PN because of the failed attempt to form a "backdoor state government" in July.

"The people harbour a negative perception towards PN because it tried to form a government outside of elections.

"If you stand too close to Musa Aman, people will look at you as part of the political coup," said Chong.

Musa, the Sungai Sibuga lawmaker and former Sabah Umno leader, along with Jeffrey Kitingan, were the faces of the effort to topple the Warisan government in July through defections.

Chong expected PBS to exploit growing distrust among KDM voters for Warisan, which was perceived to have fared poorly on immigration problems or tackling basic infrastructure problems.

Follow Malaysiakini's coverage of the Sabah state election here.