TAMBUNAN: The Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) strategy for the upcoming State Election and the proposed merger with Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) took centre stage at the 40th PBS Tambunan Annual General Meeting here.
Organising chairman Dr Rockey Jerome Budin, in his welcoming remarks, stressed the importance of factoring in the views of the younger generation when shaping political strategies.
He noted that 55 per cent of the roughly 28,000 registered voters in Tambunan are youths.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“We must take their sentiments seriously as they will influence the outcome of the coming PRN,” he said.
The meeting, chaired by Datuk William Majimbon, was officiated by Huguan Siou and PBS founder Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
Also present were PBS Central Vice Presidents and Supreme Council members, Star Central leadership, and 500 delegates from the Youth, Women and Main wings representing 50 branches.
PBS Tambunan Division Chief Datuk Dr Daniel Kinsik reminded the party machinery to be fully prepared for the polls.
He also highlighted grassroots sentiment favouring Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) contesting solo under the slogan ‘Rumah Kita, Kita Jaga’, despite the GRS–Pakatan Harapan (PH) cooperation agreed upon by top leaders.
Star President Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, who is also Tambunan Assemblyman and Keningau MP, said the GRS–PH pact would only be formalised if conditions, particularly seat allocations, were agreed upon.
He also urged for the Star–PBS merger to be expedited to avoid vote splitting and to strengthen Sabah Bumiputera politics.
“It is time for us to unite under a stronger roof for long-term political stability,” Jeffrey said.
This year’s conference was seen as a key platform to review the party’s performance and map out strategies to face current political challenges.