KOTA KINABALU – Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) is making its debut in Sabah for the upcoming state election, advocating for Sabah to join forces with Sarawak to establish a Borneo bloc aimed at implementing a “Borneo solution” to address shared challenges.
Party president Datuk Larry Sng has confirmed that the party will field candidates in multiple constituencies in the state polls, potentially running independently and focusing on the Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) community.
“Why doesn’t Sabah join us (Sarawak)? Despite the presence of numerous national parties like Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional and other groups, our long-standing issues regarding Sabah (rights under the Malaysia Agreement 1963, essential needs and infrastructure) remain unresolved to this day. We must ask ourselves why.
“In Sarawak, we already have our answer. By having a local party, we effectively address our problems without external influence from other leaders.
“If Sabah can adopt a similarly open-minded approach and embrace this model, collaborating closely with Sarawak, I believe both states can achieve much more,” he said during a press conference after launching the party’s state liaison office in Penampang today.
Sng acknowledged that establishing a presence and building strength in Sabah would be a gradual process. However, he reassured that PBM was committed to a long-term presence in the region.
“We understand that this will be a gradual process due to the multitude of parties and identities. Nevertheless, we are committed to staying in Sabah for the long haul. Regardless of the outcome, we are here to stay,” he said.
Currently, in Sabah, PBM’s members are mostly from the KDM community and the party has seven divisions, in Penampang, Ranau, Kota Belud, Kota Marudu, Pensiangan, Tuaran and Putatan.
He said the party was concentrating on KDM-majority seats first because, when the party was formed, most of its members from Sabah and Sarawak were local natives, including KDM.
He added that Jupperi Lenson, the party’s Sabah chief, would have the autonomy to determine the candidates and seats in the state election.
Sng said that the party did not aim to contest against the current local Sabah parties. However, he said that PBM aimed to provide a platform for Sabah to collaborate with Sarawak, strengthening their collective voice in advocating for their rights from the federal government.
“In Sarawak, we have solved the issue of infrastructure, electricity and MA63, and there is a lot more that we can achieve. I think we should use this leverage to work with the Sabahans to get more autonomy.
“In Sarawak, we can try to get autonomy for education and healthcare; why not have Sabah join us? We are the same (fighting for the same rights). We can achieve more than what we have now. We have to fight for our rights, and our rights can be achieved if we use the Borneo solution, not the ‘Semenanjung Malaysia’ solution,” he said.
Besides Jupperi, other PBM leaders in Sabah include state deputy chairman Joseph Peter Tinggi, as well as state vice-chairman I Sabahedin Sambikin and vice-chairman II Darensing Gohan. – June 29, 2024