PBS-Star partnership smacks of desperation, rival party says

Malay Mail

KOTA KINABALU, April 19 — Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (PKDM) has mocked the pact between Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) as a desperate bid to cling on to dwindling support.

KDM vice president Dr Oswald Aisat Igau said the pact would not affect other native parties like his, which he claimed to have strong grassroots support despite being smaller.

“From what I see, they are the ones under pressure, what is the point of them signing the MoU when they are already ‘sister parties’, already within GRS together.

“What exactly are they trying to show? It’s like they have run out of options,” he said.

Igau claimed the two parties PBS and Star have realised they were increasingly being rejected by voters in favour of younger leaders.

He gave examples of former PBS vice president Datuk Radin Malleh losing to PKDM president Datuk Peter Anthony in 2018 and PBS president Datuk Maximus Ongkili losing the Kota Marudu MP seat to Datuk Wetrom Bahanda in 2022.

He was commenting on the political pact signed by PBS and Star yesterday to work together head of the upcoming state elections. Both parties touted similar aspirations for the non-Muslim native community.

PKDM holds two seats in the state assembly and one in Parliament.

PBS holds seven state seats while Star holds six.