Published on: Sunday, May 09, 2021
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Credit: kumongis.wordpress.com
YOUR reports on “Proxy Battle For Huguan-Siouship?” and “Jeffrey Says Not Interested In The Huguan Siou Post” (DE on May 5 and 6 refers).
As a political observer, I also got the impression that the sudden demand by PBS to single out its past bastions of Tambunan and Keningau had some underlying motive.
Just like the question your headline posed and the fact that the holder Tan Sri Pairin Kitingan had given up all other political positions, except the Huguan Siou.
It is quite clear that all the Kadazan Dusun dominated parties are trying to outdo each other for the community’s support since Warisan failed to appeal to the natives, except in Penampang and Papar.
KOTA KINABALU: A political brawl seems to be brewing in the shadows between the two Kadazandusun-based parties in the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition.
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Sabah STAR are seen as competing with each other as they try to gain stronger ground in the Kadazandusun and Murut areas, triggering perceived manoeuvres of political one-upmanship.
The political cold war is believed to have started when Sabah STAR led by Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan took in PBS strongman Stephen Teo and made him the Sepanggar Sabah STAR division chief.
Though PBS did not directly respond to the pinching of its member, PBS president Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili and other senior party members have gone on the move across the state to strengthen the party at its division levels.
And in 1994 covering the drama that was unfolding at the time.
LOOKING back, it is incredulous how history repeated itself for the paramount leader of the Kadazandusun, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan, when he won the Sabah election in 1994 and 1985.
On both occasions, nail-biting moments were aplenty in the lead-up to his swearing-in as Chief Minister.
Pairin had to wait 36 hours at the gate of the Istana to be sworn in after winning the 1994 Sabah polls.
Going by convention, there would be no doubts or hitches that a new leader would take his oath after winning the election.
Man of the hour: The front pages of ‘The Star’ in 1985.