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SABAH SURVEYS | Inland Keningau is an idyllic town called Tambunan, located in the valley that separates the Crocker Range and Trus Madi mountains.
Tambunan is famous for its rice and ginger farms, as well as the location of the last stand of Mat Salleh. He was a local chief of the Lingkabo and Sugut River district who rebelled against the British North Borneo Company.
It is also remembered as the birthplace of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), who ruled the state from 1985 to 1994.
PBS founder and former Prime Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan, 80, was a Tambunan state assemblyman for more than 30 years before he was ousted by his younger brother Jeffrey Gapari in 2018.
Jeffrey is the leader of the fledgling Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) and won by securing 46.78 percent of the vote, ending Pairin’s political career.
During the September 26 elections, Jeffrey will defend his seat, and one of his opponents is Tambunan PBS division vice president Silverius Bruno, who was mentored by Joseph.
Silverius is making his electoral debut, but he is a locally known figure. He was designated as Pemimpin Pembangunan Masyarakat (PPM), a representative of the state government between 2013 and 2017. He knows the people and the terrain well.
1MDB effect reached Tambunan
Talking to MalaysiakiniSilverius said Joseph’s loss during the 2018 election was due to PBS’s association with Umno and BN at the time.
On their own, PBS and Joseph – who is regarded by Kadazan Murut Dusun as his “Huguan Siou” (supreme leader) – were still respected in Tambunan.
“Our ‘Huguan Siou’ lost only to federal government problems like 1MDB and GST.
“The opposition had also accused us of being Umno’s subordinates. These are the reasons why Joseph lost to Jeffrey with only a slight majority,” he said.
“PBS remains strong in Tambunan, and we are confident that we can regain this seat.
Joseph founded PBS in March 1985 and is predominantly a Kadazan Dusun Murut political party, although it has members from all ethnic groups.
The following month, PBS defeated Berjaya, aligned with BN, and established a new government, marking BN’s first defeat in state elections since the coalition was formed in 1973.
PBS joined BN in 1986 but withdrew in 1990. It rejoined BN in 2002 before retiring again in 2018 after the coalition lost the general election.
Now a shadow of what it was compared to its glory in the late 1980s and early 1990s, PBS hopes to make a comeback by running 22 candidates for the Sabah election, up from 13 in 2018.
Anti-Malay sentiment
Silverius is optimistic about the changes at PBS and emphasizes that the party has learned its lesson. For example, the party had chosen to use its own logo again as a sign that it will never accept orders from Kuala Lumpur.
“PBS is not a component party of Perikatan Nasional (PN), but just friendly to them. But Star is a component party of PN. This is the reason why we made the decision to use our own logo; this would bring more support to PBS.
“Pairin lost the last time because PBS used the BN logo. Sabahans, after all, have some reservations about Malaysian political parties and harbor some anti-Malay sentiments. Sabahans are also dissatisfied with Umno controlling everything in Sabah.” , said.
Silverius also believes that the people of Tambunan remain sentimental to PBS and were confident that Jeffrey would be defeated even though he is a more resourceful deputy federal minister.
“Jeffrey’s victory was because he was an opposition politician who was campaigning against a federal issue at the time.
“But now things have changed and we are no longer cooperating with Umno, while Jeffrey is the one working with PAS within the PN coalition. That is why we are using this issue,” he said.
When Malaysiakini When he saw Jeffrey at a rally on September 15, he told his supporters that the PN coalition was also a “Sabahan” coalition, which was very different from BN.
Unlike BN, Jeffrey said PN was a coalition of equal partners.
“Both the PN and Pakatan Harapan were formed by Malaysian political parties, while the PN was formed by Star, PBS and the Sarawak Progressive Party (Sapp).
“We (Sabahans) form the PN. Therefore, the PN belongs to us. Therefore, by using the PN logo, it is representing us. That is the difference,” he said.
Youngest disciple
Jeffrey’s proclamation omitted the fact that Bersatu, a party based in Selangor, is part of PN. He also erroneously referred to PBS as a component of PN.
Although PBS and Star are in the PN-led federal government, the relationship between the two parties is tense as both parties will face off in the six-seat race.
Silverius said Malaysiakini that Jeffery and Star have been inconsistent and dishonest.
“I don’t know how he is able to change his strategy. Now everyone criticizes him for being inconsistent with his words. While we (PBS) are on the right track.”
Silverius, 53, acknowledged that part of the reason Joseph lost during the 2018 election was that some people felt the latter was too old.
“Now they have no reason to reject me because they consider me quite young in politics,” he said.
It is understood that Joseph will be joining the campaign during the final days of the campaign, including in Tambunan and Melalap. PBS Vice President Radin Malleh has been dispatched to Melalap.
Follow Malaysiakini’s coverage of the Sabah state elections here.
